Food Skills for Families

Connecting people in the kitchen, teaching hands-on cooking skills and making healthy eating, grocery shopping and cooking easy, quick and fun.

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About

Making dough

Food Skills for Families is a hands-on skill building program developed by dietitians and educators. The program strives to create welcoming environments where food, food knowledge, practices, skills and traditions are shared amongst, and between, participants and facilitators in the community. 

All participants experience the rich social benefits of cooking and eating together while learning and sharing cooking skills, food knowledge and basic nutrition.

Programs

With a focus on developing healthy relationships with, and through food,  unique programs are offered to engage the following priority populations: 


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Sessions

Programs run over the course of six sessions taking place each week. Sessions are three hours long and are held in a community kitchen. Programs follow the schedule below. 

Healthy eating; Vegetables, fruits & whole grains; Protein & fats; Planning meals snacks & beverages; Shopping tour; Celebration


Reports & Evaluations


Peek Inside a Program

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Programs

Mixing flour


Food Skills for Families offers unique
in-person cooking programs. 


Food Sense

Healthy Cooking on a Budget

Focuses on creating healthy meals at a low cost. Recipes ask for minimal and readily available ingredients to keep costs low. Each recipe also includes tips on how to do easy modifications at home using ingredients that may already be on hand.  A sample recipe from Session One in the Food Sense program is Banana Oat Muffins. Using over-ripe bananas reduces food waste and helps sweeten the muffins naturally.  


Cooking Connections 

Cooking for the Active Senior

Designed for seniors, this program focuses on eating well and staying active for overall health.  It is designed to meet the needs of older adults and provides an opportunity to meet new friends and reinforces healthy eating habits. This program includes a number of  versatile recipes like Roasted Root Vegetables which encourage participants to use a variety of ingredients. 



Cooking in Canada 

Healthy Cooking for Newcomers

Designed for those new to Canada, this program provides a safe environment for newcomers to ask questions about the Canadian food system and includes discussion around what may be unfamiliar ingredients such as canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. Sessions demonstrate how to use a variety of kitchen equipment and utensils, and tips on preparing school lunches. Participants will practice using the oven to cook a number of recipes including  a Marvelous Minestrone Soup. 









Get Involved

Making granola bites


Participate in a Program​

Join an In-Person Program​
​​Programs typically run over the course of six weeks with one session taking place each week. Sessions are three hours long and are held in a community kitchen.

Find an upcoming program below and get in touch with the organization to participate, or contact your local community organization to request a program. 

Upcoming Program​s 

Join an Introduction Pilot Program
​​Introduction Pilot Sessions are a sixty-minute mini version of the three hour in-person Food Skills for Families programs. The program may be a single session or a series of two or three sessions and are offered in-person or online.

Check with your local organization to see if they are hosting an Introduction Pilot or check back here for session availability. 

Upcoming  Programs 

Host a Program

Host an In-Person Six-Session Program​

​​​Host an In-Person Program 

If you work for an organization interested in hosting a six-session Food Skills for Families program, please review the Host Requirements document for more information. 
Host Requirements

Participants: Programs are designed for adults (aged 19+). Individuals aged 13-18 are allowed to participate under certain conditions, see section Youth in the Kitchen  below for more information. 

Facilitators: Programs are instructed by certified Community Facilitators who have each attended a 3.5-day Train-the-Trainer program. Organizations are encouraged to have staff certified as Community Facilitators. If your organization does not have a trained Facilitator on staff, the BCCDC Food Skills team is happy to connect you with one in your area. Host Organizations are responsible for contracting/hiring the Facilitator directly to run the program (42 hours recommended per program).
 
Expenses: Costs associated with running the program are shared between the organization hosting the program and the BCCDC. Full time Food Skills for Families program staff are available to provide support by phone and email.

Returning Organizations:  If your organization has previously hosted a program contact the Food Skills team directly to set up your next program. 

New Organizations: To become a partner organization submit a New Host Application Form to the Food Skills Team.

New Host Application Form‎

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Host an Intro Session
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Unsure you can get enough participants for the six-session program? ... Run a one-hour intro program to determine community interest. 
​The Food Skills One-hour Intro Program acts as a ‘teaser’ and features one recipe from the participant handbook along with a learning activity. The intention of this program is to offer an introduction to the six-session program and allow organizations the opportunity to gauge interest  among their community. This program can be offered virtually or, if a Facilitator is available, in person. 

Host organizations may be eligable to funding support including facilitator wage and groceries.

To learn more and how to request an Introduction Pilot, review the guidelines below.  

Introduction Pilot Guidelines 

A checklist of pilot requirements is below. 

Introduction Pilot Requirements 

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Children & Youth in the Kitchen
The Food Skills program was designed for adults, however many partners have experienced success with delivering the program to youth aged 13-18. Youth are invited to participate in the program when a parent or legal guardian is also signed up. Hosts can also run programs exclusively for youth provided they meet the BCCDC Youth Guidelines and have a certified Food Skills Facilitator on staff who is able to deliver the program as part of their regular job. 
 
Content designed specifically for children and families can be found on the Project CHEF website. 
 
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Project CHEF Education Society is a not-for-profit society that offers experiential resources to teach children and families about healthy food. Their website is home to 100 recipes, over 40 learning activities, 10 instructional videos and a curated list of books to learn about food. Teachings include, where food comes from, what it tastes like, how to prepare it and how to share it. For a list of all resources visit ProjectChef.ca

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Facilitator Training​

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Get Food Skills Certified
​Partner organizations are encouraged to train staff to deliver the Food Skills for Families program by sending qualified staff to a 3.5-day Train-the-Trainer program.

Applicants are expected to be skilled cooks and experienced in community facilitation. The training teaches facilitators how to lead the Food Skills program through practical hands-on learning. 

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Have a passion for improving community wellness through food skills development and healthy eating.
  • Be employed by an approved Food Skills partner organization. 
  • Be an experienced facilitator with proven history of leading community programs. 
  • Be able to deliver the program as part of current role. No funding is provided for staff wages. 
  • Able to deliver first program within six months of training.

Ideal candidates may include:   

  • Community Kitchen Facilitator 
  • Food Security Coordinator
  • Community Programmer
  • Community Health Representative
  • Community Nurse or Dietitian
  • Family Support Worker 
  • Life Skills Worker
  • Pre/Post Natal Worker 
  • Settlement Worker

Costs

There is no cost to register for the training provided an individual meets all the requirements. Organizations are responsible for covering travel and accommodation costs during the training. 

Get on the Invite List

Submit a Facilitator Application Form to be notified about upcoming training opportunities. 

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Facilitator Re-certification Process

​​​Completing the Training 

After training, facilitators are required to lead their first program within six months to complete the certification. 

Maintaining Certification 

To maintain the certification facilitators are required to lead at least one program every 24 months. 


In general, after a facilitator has not lead a program for 24 months they are considered inactive and archived in the system. This means they will no longer receive the facilitator newsletters, sign-up for webinars or general communication directed to facilitators. It also means that if they want to run another Food Skills program they may be asked to recertify. Recertification methods are outlined in the document below. 
Facilitator Re-Certification Outline 

Facilitators will be notified prior to the six month and 24 month deadlines. If unsure, connect with the BCCDC Food Skills team to verify if recertification is required.​​

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Webinar/Training Opportunities
​Aug 19, 2025: Mis-Information on Food and Cancer

May 14, 2025: Cultivating Safe Spaces​

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