Cooking like a local in the USA

Many Americana don't cook! Except on Thanksgiving and major holidays.
Most of those who do cook spend very little time cooking and take advantage of processed, canned and frozen food.
Americans spend a small fortune eating out, especially in two-working families. They eat a lot of junk food. except in California perhaps where people are more health conscious.
Don't let those gorgeous kitchens in their home fool you! They are not used often.
You would think well-to-do  people eat well -- not really. The food they eat at restaurants does not contain enough fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, or wholesome ingredients. Even Chinese food, which does mix vegetables, contains too much salt and oil.
So, no, don't eat like a local. It can kill you.
Eat smart, eat well, and cook yourself. Learn different recipes. The best recipes are on u-tube!
As to cooking classes: there are many.
The ingredients to cook well are readily available as grocery stores carry an incredible variety of fresh and packaged food, unless you live in a very small town or in areas called "food desert" where it is difficult to find fresh fruit and vegetables (inner city, ghettos, many poor rural areas).
Food is abundant and relatively inexpensive, compared to many parts of the world in the majority of the United States, except for Hawaii or Alaska, where food is more expensive.
I just visited friends in Houston: hot dogs, burgers, pizza, tacos, burritos, steaks and chicken, french fries, mashed potatoes, eggs and pancakes for breakfast: such diet can literally kill you!

Then again many in the USA eat brown shortgrain rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, and a huge variety of beans and other protein sources.  Do not generalize about the USA by describing Texas.

Yes, many do eat well, but the majority eats junk food. Look at the stats for obesity. The obesity rate in America 2017?  trends show steadying levels in recent years, yet adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in five states and top 30 percent in 25 states. West Virginia has the highest adult obesity rate at 37.7 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 22.3 percent. The data correlates not only with overeating, but also with mis-nutrition.
There are more obese US adults than those who are just overweight. According to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in 2008, the obesity rate among adult Americans was estimated at 32.2% for men and 35.5% for women; these rates were roughly confirmed by the CDC again for 2009–2014.