Suzuki Seymore never expected her daughter to develop a love for cooking, but these days, she creates fruit shish kebabs and burrito bowls like a mini chef-in-training.
Seymore, a Gainesville single mother, attributes her daughter’s new passion for cooking to the University of Florida nutrition and literacy program, Books & Cooks. The program teaches healthy nutrition habits and literacy skills by providing families with free nutrition-themed books and lessons centered around cooking, nutrient-rich food choices and how food can be fun and build connections.
“The books side of Books & Cooks also exposed her to a lot of words she otherwise wouldn’t often come across,” she said. “It’s really fostered a love of reading.”
The Books & Cooks program is a partnership between the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the UF Lastinger Center in the College of Education. Books & Cooks is a free 12-week in-person and online literacy and nutrition program. It doubles as an educational outreach initiative in partnership with New Worlds Reading and a research study designed to learn about what type of resources best serve Florida’s families.
The program has recently expanded into more areas in Florida, including Alachua, Broward, Clay, Duval, Franklin, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Leon, Nassau, Polk and Wakulla counties. In addition to new locations, Books & Cooks now also includes topics of Type 2 diabetes prevention in adults and children, as well as using creativity kits and physical activity to foster family engagement and interaction throughout the series.
“We know parenting is demanding and exhausting, and we want to give them manageable suggestions for reinforcing healthy dietary choices and family mealtime behaviors focused on connection and fun,” said Jessica Hart, assistant director of the Books & Cooks program.
The Books & Cooks program provides families with books, boxes of fruits and vegetables and reading and nutrition activities weekly. Participating families attend in-person sessions and receive online support, as well as take part in two community events focused on storytelling, family wellbeing and creativity through the arts.
Literacy programming varies based on the child’s age. The curriculum aligns with state English Language Arts standards and includes books about food, a diabetes-friendly cookbook and learning real-world applications.
“We’ve heard from families that this has been overwhelmingly positive for them,” said David Diehl, UF/IFAS associate professor in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences.
For Seymore, she’s proud to see her daughter blossom into her newfound love of cooking.
She said the lessons have taught her daughter about the variety of foods and recipes available, about practical skills like chopping fruits and vegetables and has helped with patience – after all, a watched pot never boils.
“I want her to have that independence and the joy of being in the kitchen because having people taste your food, it’s an honor,” she said.
The program is funded in part by the UF/IFAS Projects Linking Agriculture and Therapeutic Medicine for Every Diet (PLANTMED) seed funding program, the UF Lastinger Center, the UF Diabetes Institute and UF Health.
To learn more about participating in the Books & Cooks program, please email booksandcooks@ifas.ufl.edu.
