Healthy Cooking Classes for At-Risk Youth: A Health Ambassador and four volunteers ran a six-week program training at-risk youth in nutrition and cooking skills. They reached their audience through WhyNot City Missions, an organization serving youth who may be homeless, low-income, unemployed, teen parents, abuse victims and/or struggling with a number of mental and physical health issues.

Participants had an opportunity to direct the course to topics and skills that interested them the most. They cooked a variety of dishes and after each session took away either prepared food or ingredients for duplicating the recipe again. For one session they made a group expedition to a grocery store, discussed comparison shopping and healthy, cheap alternatives to convenience foods, and used coupons to practice their healthy-choices shopping skills. The program finished with a potluck dinner.

Volunteers distributed nutrition and stroke prevention materials from local public health agencies, and accompanied the healthy cooking instruction with strong messages about the self-worth of the participants, and the importance of adopting healthy lifestyle habits.

"With (every cooking session), we discussed Canada’s food guide, alternatives for healthy cooking, price comparison of foods, price comparison to buying out (fast food) versus cooking, allergies… some did not have home access to all types of pots, pans, spices, ovens etc., so we discussed how to overcome and use alternatives."

"Our trip to the grocery store worked extremely well. We broke into groups and went through price comparison, why stores have things set up or at a certain height and why to look for bargains. We had given each participant a set amount to buy their groceries for a set time, based on healthy eating. We had a discussion on why they chose what and who had made better choices than another and why."

"For the potluck, some of the participants didn’t have access to the utensils or cooking vehicles at home. We solved this by opening Java (the mission's storefront café) earlier for those that needed to use the kitchen facilities."

"All of our feedback was positive. Everyone said they would like to participate again. The only negative we had was that the course was too short in length! When can we do it again?"

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