ABOUT NUTRITION EDUCATION

At Second Harvest, we don’t just feed people; we work to feed them really well. That means providing as much fresh, whole foods as possible, and it means teaching people how to cook with raw ingredients and budget their money and food so they can make tasty, nutritious meals at a low cost.

The Kitchen at Second Harvest

In The Kitchen at Second Harvest we host free community cooking classes where people learn and practice tools to take their health into their own hands. Participants enjoy hands-on cooking demonstrations and leave with food they can prepare and cook at home. Many come back again, not just to learn cooking , but also for the sense of community they experience while gathering with others around food.

Sada came to her first cooking class after a run of tough circumstances that put her and her husband in a food bank line. “There is no judgement which is always my biggest fear when I walk into a new place” she says about the community cooking classes. “ I don’t want to be pitied. I just want to be seen as a normal person who had a little bit of bad luck but has gotten back on her feet to get better.

The Kitchen in the Community

Second Harvest takes nutrition education directly to schools, community centers, churches and other locations throughout our service territory. Nutrition Ambassadors provide sample dishes at our Mobile Markets with foods distributed that day, along with recipes. People leave not only with food, but also with ideas on how to prepare unfamiliar ingredients.

Second Harvest also teaches cooking classes at high-need schools, community centers and other locations. Nutrition educators work with students to help them consider healthy eating habits and better food choices.

Healthy Pantries

Second Harvest works closely with our partner food banks and pantries to nudge shoppers to make healthy food choices. Our nutrition education team helps pantries increase their capacity to distribute more fresh produce, supports them in recipe sampling, and helps them make the healthy choice the easy choice for their clients.Second Harvest also teaches cooking classes at high-need schools, community centers and other locations. Nutrition educators work with students to help them consider healthy eating habits and better food choices.

Nutrition Ambassadors

Volunteers trained as Nutrition Ambassadors empower people in our communities to make healthy, economical food choices that can help them move out of poverty and toward healthy living. Nutrition Ambassadors lead and support cooking classes, help with recipe sampling at Mobile Market distributions and pantries and share nutrition information at special events.