While patrons looked for books downstairs on Friday, a group of kids and parents chopped onions on the second floor of Missouri River Regional Library.
Four local families are taking part in MU Extension’s latest iCook course through MRRL’s Kids in the Kitchen class. The seven-week class is part of the Extension’s Food Nutrition Education Program (FNEP) and is intended to help families eat healthy on a budget.
The weekly program brings the families together to prepare simple recipes while learning about nutrition, food safety and budgeting, said Dawn Sebion, nutrition program associate with MU Extension in Cole County.
During Friday’s class, parents and their kids made corn and bean salsa under Sebion’s guidance.
Over the years, MRRL has partnered with MU Extension on a variety of projects and events, said Eric Lyon, youth services programming coordinator at MRRL. The two organizations have offered the cooking program for about three years.
“It’s not just a story time. It’s not just a presentation,” he said. “It’s something more hands-on and it’s great. Dawn is wonderful and she has all kinds of different classes that she offers in the area for different age ranges and different nutritional things.”
Beyond cooking, the classes are designed to strengthen relationships between parents and children while encouraging healthy habits.
“The goal of iCook is for parents or caregivers and children to cook together and have interactive time together, spending time with more positive interchange and setting healthy goals together,” Sebion said.
Participants learn knife skills, food safety, kitchen safety, meal planning and budgeting strategies.
“So this whole FNEP thing (helps them) to shop smarter, eat healthier. … Basically, we’re always going to be using the five food groups,” Sebion said.
Throughout the series, families discuss goals related to healthy eating and budgeting. They track habits such as eating out less often, making and following grocery lists, avoiding grocery shopping while hungry, and monitoring spending patterns.
“We want you to see your patterns. It’s kinda eye-opening,” Sebion told the families.
This was the third series of classes taught by Sebion that Donna Oros and her 12-year-old son, Christian, have attended.
“I love the class because it helps us learn about the nutritional factors to think about when you go into the store and what to look for,” Donna Oros said. “I’ve learned a lot of things about wheat. It’s just something we learned how to look for.”
Oros said she also enjoys having the opportunity to take the class alongside her son.
“I enjoy being here because I get to be with Ms. Dawn, and I like being with her because going to these classes teaches me about cooking new things, so that when I get older I could cook new foods,” Christian Oros said.
Also participating Friday were brothers Denver Pleus, 12, and Nyle Pleus, 8, and their mother, Whitney.
“I like cooking,” Denver Pleus said, adding that he especially enjoyed learning how to cut food as they learn knife safety.
Nyle Pleus said he liked getting to enjoy what they had made at the end of the class.
While the current class is not open to new registrants, Sebion said MU Extension offers similar programs across Missouri.
In addition to teaching classes, Sebion and other MU Extension staff travel throughout Missouri to address food insecurity. Their work includes helping residents learn gardening skills that support healthy eating and assisting eligible individuals with signing up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Dawn Sebion, nutrition program associate with MU Extension in Cole County, stands ready to help families Friday during her iCook class at Missouri River Regional Library.
Drew Van Dyke talks to his 11-year-old son, Emmett Soriano, on Friday about the importance of avoiding cross contamination when cooking. They are taking the iCook class at Missouri River Regional Library, which is a seven-week “Kids in the Kitchen” class.
