Today, theWalmart Foundation has announced a US$2.5m grant to go to Share Our Strength, helping families across the US gain hands-on shopping, cooking and nutrition education so they can eat healthy food on a budget.
The grant will provide 107,500 Americans with access to Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters programme, which has a 20-year history of helping low-income families develop and maintain healthier eating habits.
The initiative is part of Walmart’s and the Walmart Foundation’s US$2bn cash and in-kind commitment through 2015 to help fight hunger in America, and Walmart’s 2011 initiative to provide customers with healthier and more affordable food choices every day.
“Many families in America haven’t been given the opportunity to learn about how to eat healthy at home,' said Julie Gehrki, senior director of the Walmart Foundation. 'Programmes like Cooking Matters give families the tools necessary to maximise their resources, shop smart on a budget and develop better eating habits.'
Over the next year, the grant will help provide shoppers with access toCooking Matters at the Storeshopping tours at Walmart stores and other grocers. These interactive sessions with trained guides are designed to teach four main skills: buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, comparing unit prices, reading food labels and identifying whole grain foods.
In addition, the grant will support six-week Cooking Matters courses that introduce cooking, food budgeting and nutrition concepts proven to increase healthy eating.
