Involve others in planning and preparing meals

Involving others in planning and preparing meals helps you cook more often.

Benefits of involving others

Planning and preparing meals with others helps to nurture healthy eating habits that last a lifetime. These habits include the ability to prepare healthy food.

Involving others in planning and preparing meals lets you:

• share food and cooking traditions
• spend quality time with loved ones
• learn and share important food skills
• make preparing meals and snacks more fun and less work
• explore healthy new foods that you might not normally try
• feel more connected to those around you, including:
  • different generations of family
  • others with a common interest

Think of all the different people in your life you could connect with through food. It could be your:

• family
• friends
• coworkers
• neighbours
• roommates
• community members

How to involve others in planning and preparing meals

There are many ways to engage in fun, food-related activities with those around you. Try to involve others by trying some of these ideas:

• Have a friend over for a cooking date.
• Invite your relatives to share the history of a favourite family food or recipe and teach you how to prepare it.
• Organize a potluck with your neighbours, coworkers or friends. Try different potluck themes to showcase everyone’s skills and specialties.
• Host a cooking event for kids. Let them plan the menu, write the grocery list, shop for food and cook the meal – with your help of course.

Get involved in food-related activities

It doesn’t all have to be about cooking. There are other ways to participate in healthy food-related activities and share your knowledge. You can:

• Start a community garden in your neighbourhood where everyone can grow fresh vegetables.
• Plan to go grocery shopping with a friend or neighbour. It can help make this regular task more social.
• Participate in a recipe exchange with your friends. Share your easy weekday meal ideas or your special holiday favourites.
• Share your skills with your community. Many communities have food organizations looking for volunteers who love to prepare food and share their knowledge with others. You can help:
  • plan, plant or harvest a garden
  • prepare meals and snacks for participants
  • organize cooking workshops or demonstrations
  • promote the knowledge and use of traditional and cultural foods