ORLANDO, Fla. —

What’s for dinner?

For many cultures, the answer includes staples and recipes that aren’t always the healthiest options. And it’s not easy to find Black or Hispanic nutritionists.

That is until you walk into the kitchen at Hebni Nutrition in Orlando.
The nonprofit has made it its mission to revolutionize menus and change lives.

At Hebni, no one leaves the kitchen without learning something new.

WESH 2 anchor Nancy Alvarez got a lesson on how to make protein-packed scrambled eggs.

“Wait till they see this story and see me putting cottage cheese in here,” Alvarez said. “My kids are going to be like, ‘don’t come home with that!’”

“Don’t tell them!,” Hebni founder Roniece Weaver responded. “That is a hard-core rule in this building! When you have to sneak something healthy, don’t tell them! Let them eat it and enjoy it, and then spring it on them!”

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The lessons here have grown in ways Hebni founders Roniece Weaver and Fabiola Gaines never imagined.

When they started, just being in the field of nutrition was groundbreaking.

Even now, only about 3% of registered dieticians in the U.S. are Black.

This year marks 30 years for the nonprofit that’s revolutionized how thousands of people eat – all while keeping cultural staples front and center.

“You talk to an African American who’s diabetic and you telling them to eat asparagus instead of collard greens, they’re going to say, ‘OK,’ and go and put the ham hocks and all the bacon and all the things in that collard greens, and totally ignore you,” Gaines said. “We did at Hebni find a better way to eat collard greens and they will taste delicious.”

“When you see a dietician who looks like you from the same culture, we do better,” Roniece added.”

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In three decades, they’ve published cookbooks, expanded classes and programs and added a mobile farmers market they take straight into food deserts.

“it makes no sense for your zip code to define your health outcomes. You don’t want transportation to be the reason why you can’t eat better. So we bring that market to the communities,” Roniece said.

And every evolution has produced life-changing results.

Monique Scott was pre-diabetic and anemic when she started attending programs here two years ago with her friend, Angenita Smith.

“I brought my son as well because his dad was diabetic and I didn’t want the same to happen to him,” Angenita said.

They joined the Healthy Souls Walking Club and learned new ways to cook.

The results:

Monique has a clean bill of health.

Angenita lost weight and both share the lessons and recipes with their children, ensuring the impact made by Hebni endures for generations to come.

“Do you guys realize that you’ve saved lives over the last 30 years?” Nancy asked.

“I wish we knew how many. But I’m sure we created an impact,” Roniece replied.

“Yeah, because we get people thinking about it,” said Fabiola, “and understanding that we’re here. You can just walk through that door. You don’t have to pay us $750 to see a dietician. Just walk through the door… That’s all you have to do. “