Healthy recipes and an entertaining program are on tap later this month as Chef Mark Anthony brings his “Dinner and a Message” program to Troy.

The program features Anthony, a professional chef from Las Vegas, wants to share the message of how he transformed his life with a healthier lifestyle.

“He wanted to lose weight and did a bunch of research and discovered that a vegan (or plant-based) diet would help,” said Kathy Griffin, who is coordinating Anthony’s show in Troy. “Now, he’s an ambassador for that lifestyle.”

Anthony travels throughout the United States, offering free cooking classes that demonstrate how a plant-based lifestyle can be healthy, delicious and easily accessible. “Over the past few years, I have lost 80 pounds,” he says on his website. “It is all from living a vegan lifestyle. That’s what I teach at my live cooking shows: How to cook healthy and save money doing. It’s not mysterious or difficult, and I want people to know it’s realistic.”

Anthony said a plant-based diet helps lower the risk of a numerous conditions, from heart disease to high blood pressure to diabetes.

“My shows are fun and exciting,” he said. “I cook everything right in front of the crowd, while teaching the principles of healthy cooking.”

Anthony also hosts a television show on 3ABN Worldwide Television.

Griffin said when she learned Anthony would be hosting shows in Mobile and Dothan, she reached out and asked him to come to Troy.

The free demonstration will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Colley Senior Complex on Elm Street.

“The room holds 150 people, so you don’t need to make a reservation,” Griffin said. “You just need to show up.”