Author: Christa O'Cull
Major Program: Cook Together, Eat Together
The problem - Families do not typically cook together nor do they eat together. High the escalating costs of dining out, more families are realizing how important it is to buy healthy foods, cook together as a family and be together to eat.The educational program response - Everyone appeared to be excited to not only learn a new extremely simple recipe, but see it made right in front of them. All the materials were cleaned/sliced/ready to prepare dish and participants were able to wa
Author: Kate Thompson
According to the National Library of Medicine (2023), children are not consuming enough fruits and vegetables. Kentucky also has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity (Trust for America’s Health, 2023). Studies have found that children who learn how to cook are more likely to eat healthily as they age. Therefore, to address these concerns, Campbell County Extension offered a 3-part cooking and gardening series to children aged 6-8 and their caregivers called Grown
Author: Katie Hughes
The problem supplies of vegetables and fruit from local producers The educational program response I held a charcuterie class at the local senior center that promoted KY proud vegetables and fruit to be used for seniors to create their own charcuterie board. All items were free and the audience learn different ways to create their board but also what vegetables or fruit was available during the time of the class and where to find local KY proud producers. The participants/target
Author: Maranda Brooks
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Healthy eating habits may not be as easy as the old saying suggests, but the core message holds true: maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for overall health. However, many face challenges in adopting healthy eating habits, whether due to socioeconomic barriers, lack of culinary skills, or insufficient nutritional knowledge.Ethan Ritter, M.D. observed that many patients could benefit from improved nutritional education. He connected with UK Hea
Author: Jessica Hunley
Children are being raised in homes where traditional cooking skills are not being taught to our next generations. Our culture and fast paced society does not lend to family meal time and time spent teaching life skills to children, this includes young adults as well as young children. In response to this issue, Madison County FCS has started a monthly family cooking program where parents can bring their children and prepare healthy and tasty meals. The program is based around t
Author: Heather Norman-Burgdolf
Eating fruits and vegetables is a critical behavior for health promotion and disease prevention. Despite the importance of eating produce, it is also one of the most difficult eating behaviors to change over time. It has been reported that cooking more meals at home correlates with increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Unfortunately, the number of Kentuckians living in poverty is consistently above the national average as this presents significant barriers to procuring, preparing, and eatin
Author: Lora Davidson
A social marketing program to promote healthier, home-cooked family meals, Cook Together, Eat Together, was offered at the Laurel County Cooperative Extension Office multiple times throughout the year. The goal is to reach as many families as possible to encourage eating more fruits and vegetables and to follow behavior changes. A total of 71 individuals have participated in the program. As a result of the program, 94% of participants reported eating more healthy foods such as whole
Author: Denise Wooley
Eating more fruits and vegetables is a critical behavior for health promotion and disease prevention. Despite the importance of eating more produce, it is also one of the most difficult eating behaviors to change. It has been reported that cooking more meals at home is related to increased fruit and vegetable consumption. A social marketing program to promote budget-friendly, nutritious, home-cooked family meals, Cook Together, Eat Together, was offered by the Graves County Extension O
Author: Sherry Ragsdale
In a seven-week program, 6 Oldham County limited resource families, with a total of 22 participants, learned how to prepare healthier meals together at home. The Oldham County Expanded Food and Nutrition Senior Assistant partnered with the Family Resource Coordinators at three elementary schools in Oldham County for students and their parents. Students learned about nutrition, basic kitchen skills, and preparing easy healthy recipes with their parents. Parents learned about mea
