Learning to eat Healthier is now being recognized more so than ever before.  Establishing good food preparations, cooking skills and eating together as a family unit is becoming one of today’s norm. Today youth are becoming better educate in the classroom, with social media, during local gatherings and at home, and better eating habits are being developed. Eating more fruits and vegetables and less carbs and protein is a critical behavior for health promotion and disease prevention.

With Kentucky obesity rate of age 2-19 is 18.5%, a new program to help students recognize some of these very import findings; Cook Together – Eat Together.  Rowan County FCS offered the program to a food service class at their high school; the class consisted of 14 students. Students learned knife skills, cooking from scratch recipes, cooking as a team, making healthy dishes and cleaning up their work areas.

Because of the program, 100% of participants reported eating more healthy foods such as whole fruits and/or brightly colored vegetables, while 90% prepared healthier, home-cooked meals. In addition, 90% adopted better practices to reduce food-shopping costs associated with home-cooked meals such as comparing prices, planning meals, and making shopping lists.