Cooking Matters and Planned & Prepped
18 Reasons teaches food-insecure households to plan, buy, and cook good food on a limited budget. While food distribution programs are a key part of alleviating food insecurity, community members also need the confidence and skills to plan and prepare delicious meals that their families will love. By providing both free groceries and cooking skills education, our programs teach households to tap into their ingenuity and make the best possible use of their food resources.
Cooking Matters
Cooking Matters (CM) is a 6-week series that pairs hands-on cooking practice with culturally appropriate nutrition discussions and healthy grocery donations.
Participants meet weekly to learn cooking skills, discuss nutrition topics, and prepare a meal together. As food choice is both cultural and deeply personal, classes choose their ingredients and recipes from a wide array of options. Our students thrive when they are learning new recipes and techniques for the types of food they love.
In addition to hands-on practice, we integrate discussion and peer-to-peer problem solving to increase student confidence and engagement. Combined with practical food skills education, this confidence empowers many to make long lasting changes to the way they shop, cook, and eat.
"This class has helped me make better choices, look at nutrition labels, and put more fruits and vegetables in my diet." - Adult participant
