Cooking & Nutrition Classes

Cooperative Extension offers several different free cooking and nutrition workshops for families, youth, and seniors who have limited incomes and live in Jefferson County. These free, interactive workshops are held at different places throughout Jefferson County. We provide all materials that you will use and tasting new foods is a part of most classes. For families, workshops may also be provided right in your home. For new moms, we also offer breastfeeding classes and support.

What classes can I take?

For Families:

Class participants in our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education (EFNEP) program receive a free food intake analysis, which helps your nutrition educator customize the class sessions to meet your specific needs. Classes are taught in English to groups and individuals at various community sites or individual homes. Our Nutrition Educators continually strive to help you recognize the value of good food and nutrition and make food safety habit forming! Workshops are usually 45-60 minutes long and meet six to eight times. We ask you to plan to attend at least six of the classes so you will learn as much as possible and can receive a "certificate of completion."

Series include:

• Eating Smart, Being Active
• Finding a Balance: Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications
• Healthy Cents: Making healthy food choices on a budget

For Single Adults and Seniors:

There are many opportunities throughout the region for individuals looking for information on stretching food dollars, cooking low cost nutritious meals, food safety, reading food labels, and general nutrition guidelines for better health. Workshops meet at convenient locations such as food pantries, housing complexes, WIC offices, grocery stores, and more. These workshops are led by our highly-skilled Nutrition Educators as part of the Eat Smart New York (ESNY) program.

For Youth:

We offer a variety of interactive programming at area schools, libraries, community centers and more to create positive youth development experiences around trying new foods and developing healthy life skills. Classes and workshops are tailored to specific age and grade levels. Learn more about nutrition education for youth here.

What will I learn?

In our cooking and nutrition workshops, you will learn about:

• Healthy, low-cost meal ideas
• Strategies to increase physical activity
• Smart food shopping
• Food safety
• How to read and understand a food label
• Food resources or services in our community that can help your family to get enough healthy and nutritious food

How do I get started? 

Call our office at 315-788-8450 to find out more about upcoming classes that might be the best and most convenient for you! You may also complete and return this Referral Form and we will contact you about upcoming opportunities. 

Last updated December 10, 2019