“Healthy Eating on a Budget” is the topic of a program set for March 26 at Central Maine Medical Center.

Lewiston, Maine - Erin Cotton, a clinical dietitian at Central Maine Bariatric Surgery, will take on the myth that healthy eating is necessarily costly, complicated and time-consuming. Her presentation will provide smart shopping habits and tips for navigating the grocery store. She will also discuss kitchen timesavers that can be used to prepare convenient, affordable, and nutritious meals.

Cotton earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and human nutrition from the University of Maine. She is also a graduate of the Adagio Health dietetic internship program in Pittsburgh. Throughout her internship, she worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, home health, grocery stores, schools, and public health programs. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

In her role at Central Maine Bariatric Surgery, she assists patients in losing weight, taking control of their health, and improving their quality of life. She provides patients with information that better prepares them for surgery, and helps them achieve long-term weight loss success after surgery.

Previously, she worked as a registered dietitian for the Western Maine Community Action WIC program, providing nutrition and breastfeeding counseling and education to families throughout Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties.

“Healthy Eating on a Budget” will be offered beginning at 6 p.m. on March 26 in Chairmen’s Rooms A and B, 12 High Street (lower level), Lewiston.

There is no charge for participation.

For more information or to register for the program, call 795-8448 or email prevention@cmhc.org