Why Cooking Matters

Shopping for and preparing meals that are both healthy and affordable can be challenging. Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® program is designed to change that. Throughout the year, Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) provides Cooking Matters courses to families and individuals in Fort Worth and surrounding communities.

Over the course of six weeks, participants receive hands-on training from nutrition and culinary instructors who share effective tips on cooking, nutrition, food budgeting and meal planning. During each class, participants learn how to prepare a healthy recipe from the Cooking Matters workbook. They also receive all of the ingredients needed to replicate each meal at home. In 2015, TAFB provided more than 4,200 nutritious meals to 615 Cooking Matters participants. Jeremie and Chrystal Burhans were two of those participants.

Jeremie and Chrystal participated in a Cooking Matters course at Community Link Mission, a TAFB Partner Agency, in May 2015. In this video filmed at Community Link Mission, the couple shares how Cooking Matters has changed their lives.

March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.” By getting involved with Cooking Matters at TAFB, you can empower individuals and families to “Savor the Flavor” and make healthy changes in their lives. Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Volunteer  – Visit our Volunteer page to register as a Cooking Matters culinary or nutrition instructor, course manager or assistant, Spanish interpreter, store tour leader or photographer.
• Become a host site – Your organization could be a great location for an upcoming Cooking Matters course. Apply to be a host site today.
• Spread the word  – Let your friends, family members and colleagues know about the Cooking Matters program at TAFB. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to stay up to date on Cooking Matters and more.

We would love to have you be a part of life-changing program.