Operation Frontline teaches hands on meal planning

I want to talk about thawing out poultry and thawing out frozen protein.
On Wednesday nights this fall, you can find cooking lessons from one of the area's top chefs
in a south Minneapolis neighborhood.
I'm gonna pull the skin off the chicken.
But instead of an expensive restaurant, this cooking lesson takes place
in an adult education center and is aimed at helping local families eat better.
I think that these classes could benefit any community,
because I think that there's just a lack of knowledge and skill of how
to cook and how to shop, as well.
Chef Seth Bixby Daugherty is part of Operation Frontline.
An organization that has teamed up with the University of Minnesota Extension
to provide local families, who are at risk of hunger,
learn how to cook nutritious meals, and stay on tight budgets.
A lot of these convenience stores will have potatoes, and onions and garlic.
And that's what we're looking at.
Daugherty talks about where to find cheap ingredients, and teaches the families how
to turn those ingredients into delicious meals that will feed their entire family,
for about the cost of a single fast food meal.
It cost a total of $100, just slightly over $100 for all 21 families.
So if you break that down, it's $5 a meal.
The U of M's CeAnn Klug says one of the most important aspects
of the Operation Frontline program, is the health education.
Tonight we're talking about proteins and calcium.
Last week we talked about fruits and whole grains.
It's not only about explaining what's healthy, but how to prepare those healthy foods,
so that kids will want to eat them.
For example, adding vegetables to your meatloaf.
Making your meatloaf go a little further.
It's low-cost and also nutritious, more nutritious.
So in the end, the U of M is helping connect Minnesota families with nutritious,
affordable food that a chef would be proud to serve.
When I'm teaching these classes, the dinner I have every night is the dinner we're eating here
at Operation Frontline.
For the University of Minnesota, I'm Justin Ware.