“Let’s Get Cooking”Low-Literacy Recipe and Nutrition

Resource Guide Onadoga County, NY

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onadoga county

 

“Let’s Get Cooking”Collaborators

• Onadoga County Department of Social Services• United Way Success by 6 Hunger Team

Coalition• 15 Community Volunteers• Inter-religious Food Consortium• WIC Program Educators• West Side Learning Center• La Liga- (Spanish Action League)

The Problem as Defined by the Partners

• Low income families with young children face many challenges to making healthy food choices

• Families facing food insecurity depend upon the food pantry system and low cost convenience/ fast foods that provide few nutrients other than calories, fats, sugar and sodium.

Common/Complementary Goals

• Develop a low-literacy cookbook and teaching guide to help families with young children improve eating habits

Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

• CCE of Onadoga County led volunteer-based team from 2001-2003 in the development and distribution of the “Let’s Get Cooking” cookbook written in a low-literacy format

Assess progress towards goals:

• Second edition printed with revisions based on survey feedback from over 400 residents who used the first edition for six months

• Translated 2nd edition to Spanish (Vamos a Cocinar) and distributed this version through 5 targeted agencies including WIC

Accomplishments/Impacts

• United Way of Southern Nevada reprinted the second edition of the cookbook for distribution to 3,000 families across 4 distribution areas across the state.

• The cookbook has been integrated as a key component in the County’s Eat Smart NY program.

• The cookbook is available for free on the internet at <http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/onondaga/nutrition/Let%27s%20Get%20Cooking.htm>

Sharing Experiences…

• Anyone have insights to share with group?

• Please…share your Strategies and Lessons Learned on the feedback forms

Thank you for your participation and great ideas!