Food Skills for Families

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Important update: The Food Skills for Families program has ended. Program materials will continue to be available on this webpage until April 30, 2027.  

Thank you to all the facilitators, community organizations and partners who have contributed to this program over the years.​

For food and nutrition information, contact HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or ​

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

Program resources

​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. 
Facilitator resources

The following activities and resources aid in the de​​​livery of the Food Skills for Families program. 

​Facilitator guide

The Facilitator Guide helps you lead participants on a cooking journey and facilitate discussions on practical ways that participants can cook and shop on a budget.

Resources

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Canada's Food Guide

​​​Canada's Fo​od Guide ​is provided in hard copy with program materials and should be handed out to participants at the beginning of the program. Encourage participants to visit the Canada’s food guide website for numerous resources, recipes and tips. Participants can also download the food guide snapshot in multiple languages​. ​

Food safety

​Safe food ​handl​ing info sh​​eets

​Website links

​Posters

  • Food storage & cooking danger zone thermometer | PDF image
  • Food-cooling procedure thermometer | PDF image​​

Knife skills
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Recipe resources
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Food Skills for Families Program Recipes

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Curriculum resources

​Find curriculum specific resources including shopping lists, recipe sign-up sheets. ​
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Food Sense

​Learning Outcomes

​​​The Learning Outcomes were revised to improve clarity by emphasizing measurable outcomes and adopting an approachable, nonjudgmental tone around food and food choices, fostering a more accessible and engaging learning environment.​ 

Session Posters

As seen in the Train-the-Trainer program, there are a variety of pre-made posters available. There are two posters for each session, the first poster has a session timeline, the second lists learning outcomes and recipes. 

Shopping Lists

Other Materials

Cooking connections (senior program)

​Learning Outcomes

​​​The Learning Outcomes were revised to improve clarity by emphasizing measurable outcomes and adopting an approachable, nonjudgmental tone around food and food choices, fostering a more accessible and engaging learning environment.​​ 

Session Posters

As seen in the Train-the-Trainer program, there are a variety of pre-made posters available. There are two posters for each session, the first poster has a session timeline, the second lists learning outcomes and recipes. 

Shopping Lists

Other Materials

Cooking in Canada (newcomers program)

​Learning Outcomes

​​​The Learning Outcomes were revised to improve clarity by emphasizing measurable outcomes and adopting an approachable, nonjudgmental tone around food and food choices, fostering a more accessible and engaging learning environment.​ ​​​

Session Posters

As seen in the Train-the-Trainer program, there are a variety of pre-made posters available. There are two posters for each session, the first poster has a session timeline, the second lists learning outcomes and recipes. 

Shopping Lists

Other Materials

​​​​​​​​​Session Resources​

Session specific optional resources and Canada food guide information is linked below.

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Pre-program

Kitchen meeting + tour questionnaire

This resource is designed to assist the facilitator with confirming final program details with a host while conducting a kitchen inspection.​

Session one: Variety for health eating

​Activities​

How to read a recipe​​: ​​ A short activity done in the first hour of the program. Participants are given the steps of reading a recipe and asked to put them in the correct order. 

Food Safe BINGO: Review and learn food safety concepts with participants. 

​​Related​ reading

​​​Canada's Food Guide topics

Session two: Vegetables, fruits and whole grain foods

​Activities​

Mindful eating: A short mindful eating activity done in the third hour of the program using a bar of chocolate. 
Fibre Activity - Sa​​lly & Bob: You will receive two sample menus, a list of foods and the amount of fibre they contain and an answer sheet. Split participants up into two groups and ask them to calculate how many grams of fibre Sally and Bob each ate. 

Related Readin​g

Canada's Food Guide Topics

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Session three: protein foods and healthy fats

​Activities

Plant or animal - Let's Talk protein and fats: How many protein options of each category can you and your team think of?

​​Related R​​eading

Canada's Food Guide Topics

Session four: Planning healthy meals, snacks and beverages

​Activities​

‎Sugary drinks activity: You are encouraged to create a “sugary drinks demo kit” similar to the one demonstrated during your Train-the-Trainer program. Using sugar cubes or loose sugar and clear glasses, have participants measure out how m​any grams of sugar are in a few of the beverages listed on the What’s in Your Glass graphic from the participant handbook. 
Pantry pick: Creatively come up with meals and snacks using common pantry items. 
‎Meal Planning: Select the ha​ndout below.  

Related R​​eading

Canada's Food Guide Topics

Session five: Grocery store tour

​Activiti​es

In-store facilitator lead tour: Leading a grocery store tour as a Food Skills for Families Facilitator is a great way to reinforce learnings from previous sessions, link familiar class-prepared foods to grocery store options, ingredient and nutrition label comparisons, and ground the experience with foods and examples tailored to your group. 
In-class grocery store tour: An 'in-class' grocery store tour is a good option if your group is unable to visit a store in person. You can achieve the same outcomes and learning objectives of Session Five in an in-class setting as you would in a physical store. Use the following guide to prepare for an In-Class Store Tour. ​​
In-store ​dietitian lead tour: Depending on your store location, a Dietitian may be available to lead the tour for you. Check with your local store or use the links below to see if someone is available.​​

​​​Related Reading

Canada's Food Guide Topics​

Session six: celebration!

​​Activities

​Catch and celebrate: Balloon toss activity to spark conversations on different ways people come together to celebrate with food.​ 
  • Catch and celebrate balloon activity​
Tails of change: Participants share and pin their "tails" of strategies to sustain change and wellness on a mural of balloons. 

Related reading

Canada's Food Guide Topics

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Facilitator resources




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​​​Host a Program

Host Requirements

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. ​​

Project CHEF Education Society is a not-for-profit society that offers experiential resources to teach children and families about healthy food. For a list of all resources visit ProjectChef.ca

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