Workshops are scheduled as requested using MyPlate as a visual guide to promote healthy eating and nutrition. Topics such as diabetes, cooking for one or two, meal preparation, gluten free eating, and emergency food preparation are examples of subjects covered.

Nutrition educators work with this network of about 30 food pantries to bring healthy cooking and nutrition education to low income audiences. Click here for more info.

F2E is a project that continues to evolve and is based on educating the public as to healthier options to choose at food pantries and stores. Nutrition messages delivered include healthy shopping, choosing lower sodium, less solid fats and added sugars and increasing fruits and vegetables. Nutrition educators demonstrate how to prepare produce, some of which may be unfamiliar to this audience. Coordination with Barnstable County Public Nurses and local community health centers has allowed for monitoring of blood pressure and blood sugar to personalize the project and is proving to have a positive impact on the health of the pantry clients. Initial funding was made possible through a grant from Cape Cod Healthcare’s Community Benefits.

Cook Well, Live Well, Eat Well is a project of the Cape Cod Hunger Network with support from Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Program and Bilezikian Family Foundation, 2011. The program is designed to steer us towards healthy food choices and tasty meals with fewer ingredients so that we might lessen our chances of chronic illness and live active and happy lives. The program is made up of three components (click on the links below to download materials):

• DVD — Featuring cooking demonstrations, nutrition and food safety education.

• Cookbook — distributed at local food pantries to encourage healthy home made meals using foods typically available at the pantries.

• Resource Binder — Copy-ready fact sheets and information for food pantry volunteers and clients. Binder sections include:

1.  Healthy Eating
2. Safe Food Handling
3. Healthy Aging and Blood Pressure
4. Diabetes and Other Challenges
5. Portuguese Translation of Select Materials

Hard copy materials have been made available to the 30+ food pantries and members of the Cape Cod Hunger Network. The public may print the materials by clicking on the links above.