Cooking Matters

Welcome to Open Range, I’m KayDee Gilkey. Stay tuned because after the break I’ll check in with our field reporter, Greg Martin for the AgriBeef Minute.

Thanks KayDee. I’m not the best cook but I do like to experiment. There are many others that are not comfortable in the kitchen. Jessyca Tyler, Nutrition Education Coordinator with the Idaho Food Bank says that what the Cooking Matters program is about.

TYLER: Cooking Matters is an education based nutrition/education program. It’s about a 20-year old program nationally. And the Idaho Food Bank is the lead partner to offer Cooking Matters in Idaho. There are curriculums written for all ages and regardless of the age group that we teach each lesson includes lots of hands on cooking and trying different healthy recipes.

Students learn the differences in things like saturated and unsaturated fats.

TYLER: Once they have a really good understanding of what those things are and how they act in our bodies they get 6-weeks to practice new recipes and to learn from a true chef on how to cook those recipes.

A registered dietician teaches students about the nutritional portion like lean proteins.

TYLER: That’s where we get into ways to incorporate lean protein into our diet so whether that be through fish, nuts and seeds or whether it’s through poultry or lean cuts of beef and pork. We really try to make it clear there are no bad foods and all foods have a place in a healthy diet.

And that might just be a juicy hamburger made with lean ground beef. I’m Greg Martin and that’s today’s AgriBeef Minute.

Thanks Greg. Don’t forget Greg will be back each Wednesday with the AgriBeef Minute. Agri Beef Co - Real Families, Great People, Exceptional Beef. I’m KayDee Gilkey.