Teaching Healthy Cooking Basics

The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the past 15 years. Recognizing that obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, the Bath County Cooperative Extension Service offered a series of classes called Healthy Cooking to encourage participants to prepare healthy home-cooked meals. The four-part series included sessions on stir frying, preparing fish and seafood, healthy dessert options, and adapting favorite recipes to lower fat, sodium and calories. Fifteen people attended the classes. Evaluations showed that 80 percent of participants learned to read more of the label information on foods, especially for sodium and sugar content. In a follow-up evaluation four months after the classes, 75 percent of participants reported regularly using the healthy recipes they learned in the classes.
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