Cooking Matters: Building food skills to end childhood hunger

cooking mattersCooking Matters partners with the national nonprofit Share Our Strength to offer Cooking Matters® in Garfield County Cooking Matters teaches families at risk of hunger how to get more food for their money and better nourishment from those foods, as part of the No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in America. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and volunteers lead six week cooking and nutrition courses and one-time Cooking Matters at the store tours where participants learn how to select nutritious and low cost ingredients and prepare them in delicious and healthy ways. Participate in person or take a course through Zoom. Cooking Matters is nationally sponsored by the ConAgra Foods® Foundation and Walmart. For local classes, visit Cooking Matters Garfield County on Facebook, for more general information, visit cookingmatters.org.

How it works

Cooking Matters programs include:
Online Cooking Matters at Home Classes:

  • Each course covers meal preparation, encouraging healthy eating for children, food budgeting and nutrition. Participants receive a $10 City Market gift card for each class attended, in place of take-home groceries offered for in-person classes. Classes are one-hour in length and can be anywhere from 1-8 weeks.

Hands-on, six-week courses

  • Each course covers meal preparation, grocery shopping, food budgeting and nutrition. Participants take home a bag of groceries at the end of each class. Three types of courses are available: classes for families (parents and kids), classes for parents, and classes for any adult 18 years or older. Courses are two-hours per week for six-weeks.

Interactive grocery store tours

  • Cooking Matters at the Store Tours provide families with hands-on education while shopping for food. Tours teach participants how to compare foods for cost and nutrition. Participants learn how to plan and budget for healthy, affordable, delicious meals.

Childcare professional training

  • Childcare professionals learn healthy meal preparation, food safety and how to help children try new foods. Participants learn to create a positive food environment for the kids in their care.

Educational tools

  • Free toolkits, kids’ handouts and recipes are available at and in the Cooking Matters smartphone app.

For local classes, visit Cooking Matters Garfield County on Facebook
For more information or to sign-up for a class contact:

Public Health Nutritionist and Cooking Matters Coordinator
Stephanie Nick snick@garfield-county.com
970-625-5200, ext. 2036