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 Office.  The CTET program reached more families by offering it online. A recipe was released on 8 Fridays beginning in September. The participating families made the recipe at home and then send in pictures of their children with the finished product.  This program is developed so that a caregiver and child can participate together throughout the program in cooking the recipes where they build knowledge and skills related to food preparation. Five families participated in all 8 sessions with 19 families participating in some lessons at home.  Each family that completed at least 5 recipes received a grocery shopping bag filled with hand kitchen items and the cookbook!

Over the long term, these cooking and eating behavior changes may lead to sustainable changes in cooking and eating norms in a community. As demonstrated by Cook Together, Eat Together, social marketing can be a powerful tool to promote change for the public good.

As a result of the program 5 families reported eating more healthy foods such as whole fruits and/or brightly colored vegetables. They also stated they prepared more meals at home during the 8 week session.

On mother said he child tried more foods during those 8 weeks because they had helped make the food.

One girl didn't think she liked eggs but loved the frittata!

The zucchini fries were a hit in a family of three children. They now make them on a regular basis.