Author: Heather Toombs
Planning Unit: Oldham County CES
Major Program: Family Development General
Plan of Work: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Kentucky obesity in Adults as of 2020 is 36.6%. 23.3% of Oldham County Adults are considered obese.
Family meals have been shown to have a positive correlational effect on childhood obesity. Cook with Me was a three-day curriculum where 14 individuals making up 4 families, would discuss and demonstrate meal planning, setting the table, cooking, eating, having dinner discussions, and cleaning up together to encourage family meal time. The Oldham County Family Consumer Science Agent demonstrated sharing the responsibilities with the entire family, hoping this pattern would continue at home.
Partnering with School Family Resource Coordinator, Good News Homes, and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Senior Assistant in Oldham County. The participants were recruited from a previous nutrition class, "Cook Together, Eat Together."
Fourteen individuals worked together on healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks on three consecutive days. Parents were encouraged to include children in meal planning, cooking, and age-appropriate tasks to streamline family meals. 30-minute nutritious recipes from https://www.planeatmove.com/about-kynep/ were used with the goal of having dinner completed and cleaned up in less than 1 hour. Surveyed participants showed that 75% would incorporate skills learned in the class and have more family meals.
Quotes from participants:
"I like the motivation now for my girls to plan, shop and make at least a couple meals a day."
"My kids love this program ...The kids now want to help and actually enjoy cooking one of the foods we learned here."
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