In today's convenience society of frozen dinners, take-out food and restaurant meals, some families rarely cook at home. But University of Illinois Extension is working to change that trend through its Youth Cooking School program.

The main focus of Youth Cooking School is teaching kids how to cook and properly use the kitchen. But, the school offers much more than cooking experience. Kids also learn how to read food labels, plan healthy meals, keep food safe, and prevent foodborne illness.

The first Cooking School of the summer runs June 23-26, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each day at the Aquatics Center in West Frankfort. There is no fee to attend. This valuable program is made possible through a federal nutrition grant. The second week is scheduled for July 7-11, from 9:00 a.m. – noon at the Christopher Community Center.

Class size is limited, and advance registration is required. For more details and to register, contact U of I Extension in Benton, 618-439-3178, or email franklin_co@extension.uiuc.edu. If dietary or disability accommodations are needed to participate in this program, please indicate when registering.

Focus on Fruit

Since the latest U.S. government Food Guidance System was released in 2005, we are hearing more about including fruit in our diet. According to Jananne Finck, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator, a variety of fruit should be included in our daily meals and/or snacks.

The Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services recommend a variety of fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits rather than fruit juice for most of our fruit choices. In fact, they recommend eating at least 4 servings (2 cups) of fruits every day, for those with a 2,000 calorie diet.

A serving of fruit is one medium fruit; half a cup of chopped, cooked, frozen or canned fruit; 1/4-cup dried fruit; or 1/2-cup fruit juice.

One of the reasons they encourage fruit is that they are a good source of fiber. For example, one small pear with skin has 4 grams of fiber. A healthy adult should have about 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories consumed each day.

For more information on personalized nutritional recommendations by the government, go to www.mypyramid.gov.