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The Food Bank of South Jersey Provides Cooking Matters® Training to SNAP-Ed Grant Recipients

The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) has partnered with the Family Health Initiatives’ (FHI), a division of the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH), to provide a Cooking Matters® “Train the Trainer” workshop for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) grant recipients.

Cooking Matters

Representatives from Rutgers University, Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Zufall Health cook healthy meals on a budget as part of their Cooking Matters® training. 

The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) recently announced its partnership with the Family Health Initiatives’ (FHI), a division of the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH), to provide a Cooking Matters® “Train the Trainer” workshop for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) grant recipients.

The goal of SNAP-Ed is to encourage individuals and families utilizing SNAP to make healthy food choices and chose a physically active lifestyle. The SNAP-Ed grant recipients (Rutgers University, Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Zufall Health) will utilize their Cooking Matters® training from the FBSJ to help SNAP-eligible populations in New Jersey.

Cooking Matters®, a program started by Share Our Strength, empowers families with the abilities to stretch their budget in order to cook healthy meals. The program offers courses and tours aimed to help individuals learn to shop smarter and use nutrition information to make healthy affordable meals.

“We are the only organization in New Jersey that teaches all of the Cooking Matters® curriculum,” said Kimberly Hill, Director, Health and Wellness. “We’re proud to collaborate with these amazing grant recipients to help ensure that families in New Jersey understand the importance of nutrition, and that it’s possible to make healthy meals affordable.”

Cooking Matters
Representatives from Rutgers University, Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Zufall Health are trained in Cooking Matters® curriculum by the Food Bank of South Jersey. (Photos provided)

The FBSJ recently held its first Cooking Matters® training session for the grant recipients. The session covered three different Cooking Matters® curriculums: Cooking Matters® for Kids, which aims to help kids develop a love of cooking and the skills to make healthy food choices; Cooking Matters® at the Store for Adults, which utilizes a guided grocery store tour to teach low-income adults how to eat healthy on a budget; and Cooking Matters® at the Store for WIC Parents, which offers a hands-on learning experience for parents using the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

In addition to learning how to help the SNAP population utilize their budget to make healthy meals, the training session included a hands-on cooking class to give participants first-hand experience cooking healthy, nutritious meals on a budget.

As part of the partnership, the FBSJ will also be responsible for offering monthly webinars and ongoing technical assistance to the grant recipients.

About the Food Bank of South Jersey:

The Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) is the leader in providing safe and nutritional food to people in need throughout South Jersey. FBSJ distributes food, provides nutrition education and cooking courses, and helps food-insecure families and seniors find sustainable ways to improve their lives. In 2017, FBSJ provided over 13 million pounds of food to approximately 200,000 South Jersey residents. Providing community impact through local support, FBSJ ensures that local donations stay local. FBSJ is a member of Feeding America, our nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.