About a third (31%, 2017) of Barren County residents are obese according to County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Cooking at home may be one strategy that folks may implement to encourage weight loss. People who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research. 

In an effort to continue programming in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and to encourage Barren County Residents to cook at home the Barren County FCS Agent facilitated the “Cooking with the Calendar”  program via Facebook Live. The “Cooking with the Calendar” program features the Nutrition Education Program Calendar.  The program is typically conducted via monthly cooking demonstrations, recipe samples, and related lessons with an in-person audience in the Barren County Extension Service demonstration kitchen. Folks enjoy the live demonstration and on average 25 individuals, including several homemakers, attend monthly. 

COVID restrictions did not allow for in-person demonstrations or sampling, therefore the Agent has begun demonstrating the NEP recipes from the calendar monthly in her home kitchen via live stream. Despite not being able to sample the recipes more folks than ever are viewing the recipe demonstrations and related content over the web. The online program saw the following reach and views/engagement:

In the wake of the pandemic, more individuals than ever were introduced to strategies for cooking at home and the low cost and healthy recipes featured in the NEP Calendars. Individuals express their appreciation of mealtime inspiration over internet posts and via post feedback and shares.