National Kids County data from 2016 indicates 65% of Kentucky families “have all available parents in the workforce”. In addition, according to the USDA, for the first time ever, the amount spent eating out has surpassed what US consumers spend on food at home. Busy families can benefit in many ways from the year-round use of slow cookers.

 Slow cookers can lower stress levels, save time and money, provide nutritionally satisfying meals for a large family and even reduce energy consumption. Slow cookers have evolved and now come in many different shapes and sizes. With new technology these devices can range from simple to high tech.  We need to make sure that our meal preparation, cooking and storing techniques are safe and free of potential food borne illness. Used correctly, slow cookers offer flexibility and an assurance that even with our busy schedules, a warm, nutritional meal can be available for our family at the end of a busy day.

• Food safety: How to test a slow cooker for temperature accuracy, safe cooking temperatures of various meats, and how to convert a recipe to slow cooker cooking times.
• Healthy meal planning techniques
• Benefits of using a slow cooker
• How to save food dollars

Outcome:

• Before the program:
  • 18% of participants knew how to test a slow cookers.
  • 36% of participants knew where to find safe cooking temperatures online.
  • 23% of participants knew how to convert a recipe to slow cooker cooking times.
• After the program:
  • 100% of participants know how to convert a recipe to slow cooker cooking times and learned something new about healthful eating.
  • 97% of participants know where to find safe cooking temperatures.
  • 95% of participants know how to test a slow cooker.
  • 95% of participants plan on utilizing a slow cooker within the next month. because a nutritious meal can be ready for family dinner time.
  • 90% of participants find meal planning less stressful.
  • 67% of participants learned how to save money at the grocery store.
• Participant testimonials 
  • “I didn’t know the importance of testing my crockpot”
  • “I plan on replacing pasta with spaghetti squash. That was delicious!”