Learning how to eat healthy at home with The National - in pictures

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  Pascal Sfara, Chef De Cuisine at Amalfi restaurant at the Le Royal Meridien hotel, picks out the freshest seafood at the fish market in Mina Zayed. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Pascal Sfara chooses a tuna for lunch. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Refreshing coconut water is a necessity ahead of the #healthyliving cooking experience, which was organised by The National. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Guests take a peek at the ingredients prepared for their #healthyliving cooking experience. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  A yellowfin tuna fish is an integral part of the day’s plan and ingredients Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Yellowfin tuna, mackerel and asparagus are ready to be grilled at the #healthyliving cooking experience. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Pascal Sfara teaches the proper technique for preparation of a leader prawn to guest Yogi Karu during the #healthyliving cooking experience. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Guests Yogi Karu, Seth Schrenzel, and Haifa al Obaidly look on as Pascal Sfara explains the cooking techniques. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Jordan Annabi, Chef De Cuisine at the Le Royal Meridien hotel in Abu Dhabi, and guests Nabiha Mohamed with daughter, Amina, chat while making desserts. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Guest Seth Schrenzel gets low for a better view. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Justin Galea, Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage at the Le Royal Meridien hotel in Abu Dhabi, puts food into a wood oven at the #healthyliving cooking experience. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Pascal Sfara, Chef De Cuisine at Amalfi restaurant at the Le Royal Meridien hotel, works with guests. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Linda Skerry chats with Laura Conner, as they and other guests socialise before their #healthyliving cooking experience, organized by The National. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Guests and The National staff enjoy the food and the company after a morning spent cooking at the #healthyliving cooking experience. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  As part of The National’s #healthyliving initiative, we wanted to show people just how easy it can be to make healthy food at home. Silvia Razgova / The National

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  Guests and The National staff enjoy the food and the company after a morning spent cooking at the #healthyliving cooking experience. Silvia Razgova / The National

Healthy eating begins at home, so Stacie Overton Johnson and 20 readers went to Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi in March to learn how to prepare simple, tasty and nutritious dishes from the chefs and discovered that the path to healthy food is open to everyone.

As part of The National’s #healthyliving initiative, we wanted to show people just how easy it can be to make healthy food at home. We invited 20 readers to Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi to join us for the Healthy Cooking Experience on March 27, 2015. Guests included stay-at-home mums, businesspeople, food bloggers and a few people who admitted they’re not that handy in the kitchen. Our guests arrived at 11am for coffee and an introduction; but long before they arrived, the hotel’s chefs, a dietitian from Imperial College London Diabetes Centre and Stacie Overton Johnson hit the markets to pick up the ingredients for the day’s cooking.