About the Program
The Cooking Club Program is a new initiative available to youth (ages 15-24). The goal of this program is to improve the physical and emotional health of financially restricted youth through support with cooking, budgeting, nutrition and other lifeskills. This program runs on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, between 11 am - 4 pm, 45 weeks each year at 7405 Royal Oak, Burnaby.

Getting Dirty
Youth attending the Cooking Club will be expected to participate in the preparation and the cooking of the food. This hands-on approach to cooking will be suitable for any level of cooking skill, but will be specifically designed for youth who have no, or very little, previous cooking experience.

Meal Planning
The meals prepared during the Cooking Club will be part of a 15-week recipe rotation. Some meals may be added or removed depending upon the number of youth who have signed up for the program. The objective of the meal planning will be to provide the youth with a variety of meals to take home that are to be refrigerated or frozen. Included will be some healthy lunch and snack items that are "ready-to-go".

Cooking up some Lifeskills
In addition to addressing food security issues by providing the participants with meals to take home, The Cooking Club Program is also going to provide a safe environment for beginner cooks to learn. The program will cover various aspects of cooking, including kitchen and food safety, reading food labels and recipes, measuring food, using common kitchen tools and machinery, understanding common cooking words, and how to make simple, cost-effective, and nutritious meals. Participants will also be provided with a cooking handbook to take home that covers the basics of cooking and provides some easy recipes.

Employment Training
Participants will receive training in the following: