The Bracken County Family and Consumer Science program offered a 6 session program, Cook Together, Eat Together to help families focus on preparing simple and economical meals together while increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.    According to the 2018 State Indicator Report by the Center for Disease Control, fruit and vegetable consumption is essential for children in preventing chronic disease.   Eating more fruits and vegetables isn’t nearly as challenging as fighting the desire to eat out or implementing a cooking schedule at home.  The United States Agriculture states that consuming meals away from home is linked to poor nutrition quality, overweight, and obesity.  Studies show that children are more likely to eat meals they help prepare. A total of 6 families participated.  Each session consisted of preparing 2 recipes from the cookbook.   The room was divided into individual family tables with everything they needed to prepare the items.  Each family prepared their 2 recipes and then set down family style and ate the recipes they prepared.  Everyone practiced chopping skills, measuring, mixing, food label reading, food safety, and portion control.  Sitting down and eating together also allowed conversation and family bonding to take place naturally. During one session one participant said she typically didn’t like eggs, her mother even agreed that she never ate them.  In this session we were making the breakfast burrito.  By the end of the session the participant was eating and liking the burrito, which had egg in it!  Because the participant helped make the food, she was more willing to try the food.  By the end of the sessions, participants had increased their overall knowledge and skills as evidence by their ability to prepare the recipes with less help than in the beginning.  On a follow up evaluation, one parent stated that she added some of the recipes into their weekly dinner rotation.  Another mom stated that anytime she makes entrees with eggs, her pre-school son asked to help crack them.  Participants were able to see that cooking together and eating together can be enjoyable and beneficial to the entire family.