Statistics continue to show the West Louisville population consumes too much fat, salt, and sugar and too little high fiber fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For this population to maintain optimal health, they must have healthy diets. To assist in this need, the Jefferson County Extension Service collaborated with Dare to Care to provide the nutrition portion of the Cooking Matters program at four of their West Louisville sites. The Family & Consumer Sciences agent presented three programs where eighty-four participants learned better food choices to reduce their risk of cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. 

Each of the six classes included a nutrition lesson, cooking demonstration and hands-on participation. At the end of each class every attendee received a bag of groceries of the recipe to try at home. Sixty individuals attended the various classes.  The program included a pre and post survey. The post evaluation showed a 90% increase in confidence by the participants. They gained confidence in 

-Using a healthy ingredient in more than one meal

-Choosing the best-priced form of fruits and vegetables

-Buying and cooking healthy foods on a budget

Participants also showed a significant growth in their ability to compare prices when shopping and to adjust their menu to “budget friendly” ingredients such as sale or commodity items.  Their increased confidence and growth in skills during the program will support them in a healthy lifestyle as they continue to make food choices to feed their families.