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

​Sessions are typically typically three hours long and are held in a community kitchen. Participating organizations are listed below. ​

Communities A- K

​​​A​

Agassiz
Agassiz Harrison Community Services

Abbotsford
Archway - Best for Babies
Gurdwara Sahib Kalgidhar Darbar
Khalsa Diwan Society

​B

Buick Creek
Blueberry River First Nation
Burnaby
MOSAIC - Brentwood Community Resource Center

C

Campbell River
Rivercity Inclusion Society

G

Gibsons
Sumac Place
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Gitwinksihlkw (Canyon City​)
Nisga'a Valley Health Authority

Greenville
Nisga'a Valley Health Authority

​K

Kelowna
Childhood Connections
Metis Community Services Society of BC
NOW Canada

L

Langley
Generation Health

​M

Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Community Services - The Clubhouse

McBride
Robson Valley Community Services

P

Prince Rupert
The Salvation Army

T

Terrace
Terrace Child Development Centre

V​

Valemount
Robson Valley Community Services

Vancouver
Generation Health​
Kitsilano Neighbourhood House
Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House
REACH Community Health Centre
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House

W

White Rock
OPTIONS Community Services Society - Whale House

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​​​Host a Program

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

Host Requirements
Participants: Programs are designed for adults (aged 19+). Individuals aged 13-1​8 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.

​​View Full Host Requirements

New Host Application Form‎

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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. 

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 Programs and resources designed specifically for children and families are listed below.
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Project Chef Logo.png

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
Note - No trainings are currently scheduled. Program handbooks can be accessed via the programs​ tab. 
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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. 

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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
​Jan 21, 2026: Webinar Poster_What's New for 2026.pdf

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