The number of meals being prepared at home have been declining throughout the past years. When Covid-19 guidelines closed restaurants, families began preparing their meals at home more frequently. Due to the convenience, several households relied on frozen meals and/or ready-to-eat meals from the grocery store.  Processed foods can be high in calories, fat, and sodium. Cooking from scratch is a healthier option.

To help encourage families to prepare healthier options, the Meade County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) assistant partnered with the Meade County Extension Homemakers to create a program that would provide over 100 families with a monthly food box. This program was named the Cook at Home Program and is funded through the fundraising of the Meade Extension Homemakers. The boxes include a healthy recipe along with ingredients so they can prepare it as a family. The box also includes a bag of fresh fruit, a box of oat cereal, a bag of pretzels, a loaf of whole wheat bread, peanut butter, jelly, and fruit and grain bars for healthy snacking. The EFNEP assistant includes nutritional information and promotes upcoming Facebook Live Healthy Choices for Every Body program in the monthly boxes.

The Cook at Home Program has provided three months of boxes so far. The response has been well received. Three of the families have graduated from the Facebook Live program and three families are in the current program.