Cooking Matters at the Store is a one-time class designed to help adults living in Minnesota make healthy food choices on a limited budget. The class is conducted during a guided tour of a grocery store.
This class seeks to help low-income adults shop for reasonably priced, healthy foods. While taking a guided tour of a grocery store, participants will learn how to:
Identify at least three economical ways of purchasing fruits and vegetables.
Compare unit prices.
Read food labels.
Identify and find whole grain foods in the store.
This class lasts about two hours, including a tour and closing discussion led by a SNAP-Ed educator. Like all Cooking Matters programming, sessions are adapted to meet participants' learning needs.
Cooking Matters at the Store is based on research showing that careful food shopping practices, such as price comparison and nutrition label use, are associated with measures of better dietary quality. This hands-on class aims to promote real changes in food shopping habits.
Those who complete the tour and short survey receive a reusable cloth shopping bag, and a booklet with the information presented in the tour, and 15 healthy recipes to try at home. Materials are available in both English and Spanish, and classes are offered throughout Minnesota.
