Success StoryFamilies of Third Graders Get Cooking



Families of Third Graders Get Cooking

Author: Lorie Dunn

Planning Unit: Grant County CES

Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

                Grant County has an obesity rate of 35.6% and Sherman Elementary School has 100% of families receiving free lunches.  Grant County’s Nutrition Education Program cooperated with the Sherman Family Resource Center, Sherman Advisory Council, the Grant County Community Action Agency, and a Spanish translator provided by the University of Kentucky, to offer 7 classes in the Healthy Choices Curriculum.  Low income parents, relatives raising children and limited English families met weekly for two hours after school for a month to experience hands on cooking, meal planning, food safety, reading labels, sampling recipes, practice using a food thermometer, identifying foods on My Plate, learning the importance of breakfast and learning to limit fats, sugars and sodium.  Ten families attended.  Before the parents arrived, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Senior assistant and volunteers met with the third grade children of these families to teach lessons such as Think Your Drink, Food Safety, Hand washing, Reading Recipes, Knife Skills, My Plate, and Kitchen Safety.  The youth then prepared a Nutrition Education approved recipe with ingredients purchases by the Family Resource Center.  While the children cleaned up and did activities with the volunteers and Family Resource Center Director, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Senior worked with the adults.  With the assistance of a translator and forms translated into Spanish by the University of Kentucky, nutrition lessons were taught to the adults and they had the opportunity to prepare a recipe themselves each week.  Clients had the opportunity to prepare recipes, use a meat thermometer, plan meals, and learn about their drink choices, reading labels, the importance of budgeting and eating breakfast. Ten families completed the classes and by the end, 73% of those families were able to plan meals more often, use a meat thermometer more often, and eat more vegetables each day.   64% of those families made a list more often when shopping.  64% of youth reduced the amount of soda they drank.  One of the limited English Speaking clients told the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program Senior Assistant, “I didn’t realize how much sugar was in soda!   We are cutting back the number we drink.”  The Family Resource Center Director stated “What I enjoyed most was seeing the students’ confidence grow.  Students came to school the day after Cooking Class boasting about preparing dinner for their families and told me they couldn’t wait for the next class.”








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