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 fruits and/or brightly colored vegetables, while 75 % prepared more healthy home-cooked meals.  In addition, 100% adopted one or more practices to reduce food shopping costs associated with home-cooked meals such as comparing prices, planning meals, and making shipping lists.  

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 is a powerful tool to promote changes for the public good. The Laurel County Extension Office was able to partner with the Laurel Harvest Project, in which provided each family with food each week to take home to prepare a meal at home with their families, as well as incentive items. 

Participants stated:

"We have learned a great deal in the classes and love that we can cook at home."

"The items that were given away have been a blessing to our family because these are things that we didn't have."

"Cooking together one night a week has helped our family come back together for meal times."