Cooking Matters
About the Cooking Matters Program
Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters (formerly Operation Frontline) offers ground-breaking nutrition education and cooking classes, as well as superior financial planning courses. Cooking Matters, run by Operation Food Search in St. Louis, is distinguished by its engaging chefs and nutritionist-led courses that provide hands-on meal preparation, practical nutrition information, and food budgeting skills. Cooking Matters has received special recognition from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for excellence in nutrition education.
Since Operation Frontline - now Cooking Matters - began in St. Louis in November of 2000, over 2,300 people have participated in more than 215 six-week classes. An additional 12,501 people have been served through nutrition fairs and other health-related events.
Cooking Matters offers nine different courses targeted at a variety of different populations. All courses are designed to run for six weekly, two-hour lessons.
COOKING MATTERS for Adults offered in English and Spanish, teaches low-income adults how to prepare and shop for healthy meals on a limited budget. More than 70% of Eating Right participants said they eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains after the course than before.
COOKING MATTERS for Adults: A Supplement for Diabetes created to improve the health and well-being of low-income individuals at risk of or living with diabetes. The program focuses on the vital ways that healthy eating and physical activity help with blood sugar maintenance and the prevention or delay of serious short- and long-term health risks associated with diabetes
COOKING MATTERS for Adults: A Supplement for Wellness was created to improve the health and well-being of low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The program focuses on the vital ways that healthy eating fortifies the immune system, enabling participants to fight infection and to maintain their strength in the face of illness and side effects from medication. This curriculum also recognizes the crucial importance of practicing proper food safety for preventing opportunistic infections.
COOKING MATTERS for Adults: A Supplement for Parents of Preschoolers was developed to increase the number of preschool children from low-income families who grow up healthy, well fed, and with good eating habits. This goal is accomplished by giving parents the skills and motivation they need to provide healthy, well-balanced meals and to teach children a love of healthy eating.
COOKING MATTERS for Families teaches school-aged children and their parent about healthy eating and the importance of eating together as a family. Ninety-three percent of children said they were excited to cook with their parents, and 99% of the parents would recommend the class to other families.
COOKING MATTERS for Teens teaches teens how to make healthy food choices and prepare healthy meals and snacks. Nearly 75% of graduates are proud to say they eat more fruit and 54% said they eat more vegetables after taking the course.
COOKING MATTERS for Kids teaches kids ages 8-12 about healthy eating, how healthy eating affects their performance, and how to make easy, nutritious foods at home. Nearly 90% of participants learned at least one new thing about cooking.
COOKING MATTERS for Young Parents teaches teen parents how to make healthy food choices and prepare nutritious food for themselves and their babies. Graduates increased their use of Nutrition Facts labels when they shopped for groceries and chose healthier foods like low-fat milk and whole grains.
COOKING MATTERS for Child Care Professionals, a professional training course for child-care providers providing home-based and center-based daycare, teaches the knowledge and skills needed to prepare healthy low-cost meals and snacks. This course is designed to be flexible to meet the needs and schedules of the daycare staff.
