As a college student or young adult trying to make a living, eating healthy with spending limits may seem hard.

Moscow Food Co-op’s class series “Healthy Eating on a Budget” aims to teach people how to eat healthy while not breaking the bank.   Co-op Education and Event Coordinator Max Newland said if you pre-register for the class online as a co-owner, your ticket will be reimbursed as a gift card for the Co-op.

This is one of the major perks of becoming a co-owner, he said.

The series contains five focuses: whole grains, plant based proteins, fruits and vegetables, everyday desserts and a tour of the Co-op with meal planning help.

Alice Ma, a registered dietitian at WSU and instructor of the class, will feature her own recipes while offering tips on shopping within a budget and still meeting daily health needs. Every recipe created by Ma is meant to be inviting to most diets, food sensitivities or allergies, she said.

Samples of her recipes will be featured throughout the class time, which will allow students to actually taste healthy cooking, Ma said.

Participants will also receive handouts of the recipes and helpful tips on how to eat healthy while not emptying their wallets.

Ma is a supporter and volunteer for the Moscow Food Co-op. She loves nutrition and educating others about how to have a healthy eating lifestyle, she said. She began teaching the class about two years ago, but the experience remains fresh for her. Every time she teaches, she discovers something new about what she does.

“One of the challenges faced while teaching the class is getting people to attend,” Ma said. “People seem to be afraid of the stigma behind health food and eating healthy.”

However, this doesn’t stop her from teaching what she loves. Ma believes one can eat healthily without having to suffer through bad-tasting food or giving up a daily dose of sweets.

The first class will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. in Moscow’s Latah County Fair Office in Moscow, Idaho. The price is $3 for Co-op members and $5 for non-members.

An earlier version of this article misidentified Max Newland as Education and Event Specialist, not Education and Event Coordinator.