Family Cooking Classes Build Confidence
Way to Grow celebrates the power of food to nourish more than just bodies, it builds connection, confidence, and community, which is why we’re proud to partner with University of MN Extension for a six-week series of cooking classes for families through Cooking Matters. Each week, a local chef (Peter), a nutrition educator (Lani), Way to Grow parents, and our Programming Team come together to learn a new recipe and build kitchen skills that support long-term success at home. These shared experiences help families turn everyday cooking into positive family experiences.
We want to give a special shoutout to Brittany, a former participant in our first Cooking Matters series last year. From the start, she arrived early to help Lani and Peter with prep work. Her willingness and hard work made such a positive impact for everyone involved. This year, she returned as a formal volunteer for the full six-week course. We’re so grateful for her enthusiasm, skill, and time..
Week by week, recipe by recipe, these cooking classes are feeding families in all the ways that matter.
Teaching hands-on, healthy meals on a budget
Cooking Matters is a national program dedicated to helping families shop for and prepare healthy meals on a budget. Their hands-on, real-life approach aligns with Way to Grow’s mission of supporting families through education and empowerment. Each week, families learn how to:
- Use simple techniques to cook with confidence
- Try new flavors and foods with guidance from an experienced local chef
- Use the Cooking Matters Recipe Finder to discover practical recipes perfect for busy lives
- Stretch ingredients across meals
Parents and Family Educators gain practical skills and ideas they can immediately use. And children often join in – tasting, laughing, and celebrating the meals their parents create.
Why family meal planning matters
Way to Grow knows that consistent mealtimes support children’s learning and development. Family meal planning can boost language skills, pass on cultural traditions, and create space for emotional connection. When caregivers feel confident in the kitchen, they’re more likely to prepare balanced meals, and more likely to enjoy doing it.
Through this six-week series, parents discover that nutritious food doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. With the right tools and support, mealtimes are less stressful and more meaningful.
A program that feeds more than stomachs
Week by week, recipe by recipe, these cooking classes are feeding families in all the ways that matter. What starts as a simple meal often ends with shared laughter, new friendships, and a growing sense of confidence. Families leave with full stomachs and hearts, and skills that will last well beyond the final session.
Our final session was especially sweet. Participants received program certificates, shared a celebratory lunch, and enjoyed a favorite from the Cooking Matters recipe page – Black Bean Brownies. Delicious, rich, and packed with protein, they were the perfect way to end a season of learning and connection.
Way to Grow is grateful to the University of MN Extension program for investing in our community and showing what’s possible when we cook and learn together. We’re happy to share that a second series is in the works. Stay tuned!
To explore more about how Cooking Matters helps families thrive nationwide, visit cookingmatters.org.
Special thanks to John Gwinn for sharing his photos with us.
Want to become a Way to Grow family?
If you or someone you know is expecting a child or raising young children in the Twin Cities, we’re here to help. Our free, personalized home visiting program supports families from before birth through third grade with early education, health resources, and trusted, long-term support.
Learn more and apply today at waytogrow.org/enroll.
We’d love to walk alongside your family, too.
