Nutrition Engagement Through a Box: Out of the Box Cooking Series

When thinking about our impact beyond the cafeteria, it didn’t take us long to select our focus! We are excited to share the impact of our popular Out of the Box Cooking Series. This program has helped to foster food exposure, culinary training and nutrition education for the families of preschoolers through our collaboration with a local Head Start program. Use this as some food for thought, curated and ready to serve up some quick and easy strategies for success! 

Ponder 🤔:  I’m sure you’ve seen the many subscription box businesses where you can get periodic deliveries of curated goods, in which subscribers eagerly await their monthly deliveries. Whether it be clothing, cosmetics, food, or pet goods, the unboxing brings excitement and wonder (and gets the tail wagging!) at the possibilities that can be mustered with the box items. We’ve witnessed this same excitement when participants of our Out of the Box Cooking Series open their boxes. 

Innovate 💡:  What started as a way to stay connected with and provide family engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown in popularity.  Families are excited to receive their box, which contains ingredients to make a recipe along with some useful kitchen equipment to ensure they have the tools needed to make the recipe and build their own kitchen supplies. Soup pots, food choppers, baking sheets, knives and cutting boards are among some of the items that have been included.

Learn 📚: Families enjoy the opportunity to explore new foods and recipes while engaging in the kitchen with their children. Sessions have been built around themes such as: making homemade favorites like homemade pizza and macaroni and cheese; recipes for a better breakfast and healthier snacks; soup and salad; and building a balanced plate.  

Watch 👀:   Culinary tips and nutrition education are provided by a team chef and dietitian as participants watch a video in which the recipe is demonstrated. The chef has demonstrated such skills as using a knife, kneading bread, making a roux and prepping vegetables. During the video, the dietitian will also infuse nutrition education tips such as the benefits of whole grains, label reading, building balanced meals and how to make meal planning easier. 

Menu Pro Tips ✅: The recipes selected are designed to be economical and have steps that the children themselves and get involved with. They can also serve as a recipe testing opportunity for potential new menu items. Some of the recipes have been so well-received that we have added them to our meals provided in the Head Start centers. After learning how to make Cookie Dough Hummus as a healthy snack, the feedback was so positive that it became a new menu item. Apple Pie Overnight Oats and a Veggie Frittata have also been deemed menu worthy!

Read 📖:  Accolades for the program have been highlighted in Head Start Program Newsletters and surveys of the program have garnered these responses: 

• Love this!! It's fun to make with my kids. Plus the food 😋 is yummy!!

• We really enjoyed making the Mac and cheese and it tasted great! I've always wanted to know how to make baked mac n cheese. We really appreciate the thought, time, and effort that was put into this. Thank you!

• I loved cooking this with my daughter helping me and we all enjoyed the meal together. Thank you for providing this service and hope to attend more in the future!

• Personally, these cooking lessons help as a younger mother!! It’s also AMAZING to be given the utensils, pots / dishes and recipes we can reuse over and over. This experience is extraordinary and my family loves it!