Eating more fruits and vegetables is a critical behavior for health promotion and disease prevention.  Despite the importance of eating more produce, it is also one of the most difficult eating behaviors to change. It has been reported that cooking more meals at home is related to increased fruit and vegetable consumption.  A social marketing program to promote more healthy, home-cooked family meals, Cook Together, Eat Together, was offered at the Meade County Cooperative Extension office with 11 adults and 16 youth participants.  Due to Covid restrictions related to interaction and food preparation, the 8-week series was hosted online via zoom.  The FCS agent adapted the in-person meetings by sending a grocery and equipment list along with the selected recipe to the group each week.  Each session focused on food prep skills, food and kitchen safety, and nutrition information on the recipe being prepared.  Participants cooked along with the agent and at the end had a main dish or side ready to eat for dinner.  

As a result of the program, 35% of participants reported eating more healthy foods such as whole fruits and/or brightly colored vegetables, while 50% prepared more healthy home-cooked meals.  In addition, 50% adopted one or more practices to reduce food shopping costs associated with home-cooked meals such as comparing prices, planning meals, and making shopping lists. Covid restrictions had closed or reduced capacity in restaurants so more families were cooking at home.  This eight-week series was beneficial in helping them plan meals and shop for healthy options. 

Over the long term, these cooking and eating behavior changes may lead to sustainable changes in cooking and eating norms in a community.  As demonstrated by Cook Together, Eat Together, social marketing is a powerful tool to promote changes for the public good.

When asked what they enjoyed about the class, they all replied they had learned a new cooking skill and enjoyed almost all the recipes.  The most popular one being Broccoli Soup.