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Cooking for Life

Cooking for Life is designed to improve food security for children living in families with limited budgets. Participants are provided with the skills necessary to make nutritious food choices through hands-on preparation of healthy meals. The program is a collaboration of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger (VTCECH) and the University of Vermont Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Cooking for Life works with host agencies to offer the program in communities across the state.

Cooking for Life consists of three programs in order to meet the needs of a diverse audience: low-income parents, at-risk youth, and at-risk teens transitioning into independent living.

In a series of six 2 1/2 hour classes, 10-15 participants receive hands-on instruction in meal planning, budgeting, shopping, and cooking from area chefs and nutrition professionals. This partnership helps participants learn not just what to do, but how to do it. At the conclusion of each session, participants take home ingredients to make the new recipes they learned in class. With the ingredients in hand and the experience in the class, participants are more likely to try the new recipes with their families.

Since Cooking for Life began in 1999, 166 adult series have been offered to over 1,753 low-income parents; 96 youth series to over 1,000 at-risk youth; and 24 young adult series to over 258 at-risk teens.

Graduates are:

• Consuming more fruits, vegetables, grains, and calcium-containing foods
• Preparing more meals from scratch
• Learning how best to budget food dollars and plan healthier meals