Why is Cooking at Work important? Cooking & Company Why should Companies participate? What s the Food revolution? What s Cooking & Company?

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1 Food REvolUtioN COOKING & COMPANY What s the Food Revolution? The Food Revolution is a movement aiming to change the way people eat and to keep cooking skills alive in homes and communities across America. What s Cooking & Company? We re extending the Revolution from schools to the workplace with the goal of teaching 350,000 adults basic cooking skills. We want employees to get excited about cooking for themselves, and to get support where they could use it the most: where they work. Why is Cooking at Work Important? Adults spend most of their day at work. But they often feel too pressed for time and their eating habits suffer. But what if they were given the tools and the time to build their cooking skills and share experiences? Putting the Food Revolution to work AT work is a natural place to start. Why Should Companies Participate? Many U.S. companies are starting to make wellness programs a priority in the workplace. These programs don t just keep employees feeling better; they reduce overall health care spending. Teaching employees to cook for themselves contributes to wellness in the workplace by giving people tools to feed themselves better. Today, only 17% of employees participate in workplace wellness programs. Workplace wellness tends to focus on bad behavior or negative attributes. What would happen if instead, employees received a positive, inspiring way to engage? We think cooking can get them invested and keep them motivated to participate. It s not easy. Bringing the Food Revolution to work takes commitment and care. It takes companies who support their employees well-being. And it takes lots of creativity to explore fun, simple, and supportive ways to get people cooking. But it can be done!

2 Let s Cook! Prepare Your Program Get buy-in from the decision-maker within your organization. Finalize employee time commitments and funds to subsidize the program. Choose Your Champion Food-loving rabble-rousers wanted! Find the person in your organization who can get employees excited to participate. Behind every good project, there s a great person who s organizing it, making sure things run smoothly and that everyone gets something out of it. That s what Cooking & Company needs to get started. Capture the Moment Share the love. Take pictures of your event and interview employee participants. Update the Facebook page with photos and news of your latest events or create a Facebook community of your own. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat The more you do it, the better it gets. Host a cooking event in your workplace regularly. Follow up with employees after each event and integrate their feedback. Choose Your Audience Cooking & Company isn t about foodies. It s about everyday people. Host an event for anyone who needs help and support around cooking. Make the activity approachable and relevant. Spread the Word Communications are key. Acquire the necessary permissions and work with the right resources. Spread awareness so participants know where to be and when and what they have to do once they re there. Set the Stage Create a designated space at your workplace to hold a Cooking & Company event. Invite everyone to attend. Round up the ingredients, cooking equipment, facilities approval and any staff who might be able to help. Set aside an hour for collaborative learning and cooking. Share a simple and easy-to-reproduce recipe using familiar ingredients, and voilà! Safety 101 To cover any mishaps, first ensure a few basic regulations and safety checks are in place. For larger events, you will need to carry out a full risk assessment. For smaller events, you will need to make everyone aware of the implications of cooking food and staff handling on site. Some things to keep in mind: Health and Safety This covers accidents such cut fingers and minor burns during cooking, food allergies and special dietary requirements. All participating staff should be aware of these risks and take preventive measures. For food allergies, modify or try an alternate recipe. Fire Risk If you are using mobile burners or any non-standard cooking equipment you will need to check any additional risk with your appointed fire officer. Food Hygiene This includes sourcing and storing ingredients.

3 Toolkit 1 Take-It-Home Kit In A Nutshell: All chopped up and ready to go! Give employees everything they need to make dinner, with minimal preparations. Ingredients are ready for assembly and easy cooking at home. STEPS TO TAKE Agree who s paying: Decide beforehand if the company will pay for it, or make an agreement to charge employees and subsidize part of the ingredients list. Food storage: Decide where you ll keep the food/ ingredients before, during, and after the preparation. Is there a company fridge handy? Find a safe, dry and temperature-appropriate location instead of the trunk of your car. Food safety awareness: Do you know how to handle raw chicken? Or which tools you need for the ingredients being prepared? Make sure you re aware of basic food safety guidelines. Have the appropriate cleaning supplies handy for washing hands and keeping food preparation surfaces clean. Schedule it: Select a weekday evening (midweek is ideal) ahead of time and recruit participants so they can schedule it with their respective partners/families. Send an invitation and start talking it up at the office. Schedule the pick-up: Designate an end-of-day pick-up as people are heading out of the office. Make sure their ingredients are going to be preserved well enough on the journey to get home. Double-check for any missing essential ingredients. Build a virtual support community: Create an online community to swap ideas about cooking. Facebook groups are a great way to easily set these up, and adjust the privacy settings per individual. (Note: This will not work for those employees that are not on Facebook). Use the Cooking & Company icon as the group profile picture. Pick the recipe: Decide on something that s fun to cook and would be enjoyable with a partner, family or friends. Consider picking a recipe with ingredients that are easily found in your region and local markets. Planning (ingredients): Make a list of the ingredients needed. Determine how many people you re cooking for. Adjust the recipe according to the number of people that are participating. Create a shopping list. Check if you can order online or if your local grocery can deliver. Planning (supplies): Scale the amount of supplies you ll need to supplement the ingredients in the kit. (Ziploc bags, foil, 2 oz cups for spices, etc.) Check equipment: Make sure you have the right prep equipment. This means accessible sink, colanders, cutting boards, knives, etc. Also, make sure there s enough space for all of your choppers to work comfortably. Recruit a prep army: Figure out who will shop for ingredients, who will help with set up, and who will actually be preparing the dish. We found that it takes 10 choppers/cleaners/baggers about an hour to make 20 take-it-home kits. Shopping: Purchase the ingredients and supplies. Schedule a prep hour: Recruit some help around the office, and get some music going in the kitchen. Give your prep crew some visibility to encourage people to engage. The smells and colors of fresh food are enticing! Prep time can also happen before or after work, depending on office approval. Pack the kit: Consolidate the ingredients and accompanying recipe in a bag. Label the bag with the ingredient list and the name of the person it s going to. Keep the bag in a food-safe location, and consider securing the bags to avoid theft. Inform and educate: At the pick-up venue, have examples of cooking equipment that will be required to finish the meal preparation. Keep these on hand to educate people what kind of equipment they might need for future meals. For bonus points, have someone demonstrating the cooking steps. Share and socialize: Encourage participants to post their photos of their meal and offer feedback on the respective group page. And pass it on! Do other employees want to lead the next effort? Does someone have a recipe variation they recommend? EXPENSES EQUIPMENT TIME

4 Toolkit 1 Take-It-Home Kit EQUIPMENT & RESOURCES Refrigerator (or large cooler/ice chest to keep ingredients cold) Sink (for washing hands and cleaning food) Waste and compost bins Cutting boards and knives Ziploc bags Foil 2-oz cups and lids Cloth or paper bags (to consolidate the prepared ingredients for participants to transport home) Cooking equipment or utensils recommended to finish the recipe BENEFITS & IMPACT Education (develop familiarity with ingredients, how to work with ingredients, and when possible, how to adapt and substitute for them) Easy participation for employees (no planning, shopping or prep just cook and eat) Takes minimal time to finish cooking a meal at home No cooking infrastructure necessary at company site SUGGESTED RECIPES Chicken Fajitas Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya Spring Minestrone Soup Vegetarian Chili Baked Ziti

5 Toolkit 2 No Cook Left Behind: Cooking Classes In A Nutshell: Learn on the job. Small cooking classes are a great way to get people working together and to build team-building skills while immersing themselves in a cooking experience. Designate a site for the class - a cooking table in your office, a cubicle, the cafeteria, or even away from work. Find a professional chef or other cooking professional to lead the activity. STEPS TO TAKE Schedule it: Select a midweek lunch ahead of time and recruit participants. Make sure they have the right organizational support (permission) to take the time. Send an invitation! Build a virtual support community: Create an online community to swap ideas around cooking. Facebook groups are a great way to set these up easily, and adjust the privacy settings per individual. (Note: This will not work for those employees who are not on Facebook). Use the Cooking & Company icon as the group profile picture. Pick the recipe: Choose something that is relatively simple (doesn t take much prep), fun to cook, and can be enjoyed in company. Choose a chef: Select a chef to lead the event. Maybe this is a local chef of a popular restaurant, a personal chef or cooking consultant willing to engage a company audience, or even a 2-person team of employees who happen to be passionate cooks. Confirm facilities: Discuss the event with your facilities supervisor so that you are familiar with the most appropriate space to host this function. Things to consider: your facility s fire code, appropriate space and ventilation, and proximity to a sink or water supply. Planning (ingredients): Make a list of the ingredients needed. Adjust the recipe according to the number of people that are participating. Create a shopping list. Check if you can order online or if your local grocery can deliver. Planning (supplies): Scale the amount of supplies you ll need for each cooking station. Get creative with resources (i.e. portable burners, supplies from home such as colanders, cutting boards, knives, aprons, and dish towels, etc.). Decide what needs to be purchased or what can be rented or borrowed, as well as what equipment can be shared during the class? Start small, then scale: Start with a small group to iron out the kinks and to see what works well, then broaden the class to include more people Shopping: Purchase the ingredients and supplies. Agree who s paying: Decide beforehand which supplies or ingredients the company will subsidize. Food storage: Decide where participants will keep the food/ingredients before, during, and after the class. Is there a company fridge handy? Find a safe, dry and temperature-appropriate location. Food safety awareness: Do you know how to handle raw chicken? Or which tools you need for the ingredients being prepared? Make sure you re aware of basic food safety guidelines. Have appropriate cleaning supplies handy for washing hands and keeping food preparation surfaces clean. Set-up: Set up the event space. Make sure the cooking stations are appropriately equipped with the right tools and the right ingredients. Make sure you have enough burners for each station. Have a few extra items just in case. Does the cooking instructor have everything they need to help them turn this into an engaging educational event? Get cooking: Have fun, learn, and engage in the cooking experience. Dig in: Once you ve shared the cooking experience, celebrate together and share the eating experience! Clean up: Confirm beforehand who will be helping to clean up. This will help smooth the transition from the cooking space back to office work at hand. Share and socialize: Encourage participants to post their photos of their meal and offer feedback on the respective group page. And pass it on! Do other employees want to lead the next effort? Does someone have a recipe variation they recommend? Outsource cooking facilities: Don t have the appropriate facility to conduct this event? Not to worry - there are plenty of local resource such as community kitchens and cooking schools that can host a similar event and provide everything you need: the space, equipment, instruction and facilitation, and even clean-up duties! EXPENSES EQUIPMENT TIME

6 Toolkit 2 No Cook Left Behind: Cooking Classes EQUIPMENT & RESOURCES A large space equipped for cooking (appropriate ventilation and space, etc.). Multiple cooking stations (equipped with a portable burner, back-up fuel tank, cutting boards and knives, cooking vessels, etc). Exact equipment list will vary per selected recipe. Sink (for washing hands and cleaning food) Waste and compost bins Refrigerator (or large cooler/ice chest to keep ingredients cold) Instructor/facilitator and recipes BENEFITS & IMPACT Education (help develop familiarity with ingredients, how to work with ingredients, and when possible, how to adapt and substitute for them) Cooking engages employees (active, stimulating, and collaborative) Taking an existing meal time break (lunch) works into the natural workflow of a day at the office. Hands-on education is ideal for team-building. SUGGESTED RECIPES Barbecued Chicken Classic Tomato Spaghetti Chicken Caesar Salad Flank Steak and Salsa Verde Sloppy Joe

7 Toolkit 3 Pop-up Community Cooking In A Nutshell: Keep em cooking. Offer a cooking space to share in preparations, pool their resources, and have company while they cook. Great for ad-hoc cooking moments, for singles or even off-hour eaters. STEPS TO TAKE Schedule it: Select an opportunity for a cooking event/ moment ahead of time. This can be a breakfast or lunch. Select a time and location that would get reliable employee traffic and visibility. Designate point people: Select two fairly cookingknowledgeable employees that can facilitate the event. (Two additional support people are ideal to oversee ingredients and cooking tools cycling through to keep up with the cooking rotations.) Build a virtual support community: Create an online community to swap ideas about cooking. Facebook groups are a great way to easily set these up, and adjust the privacy settings per individual. (Note: This will not work for those employees that are not on Facebook). Use the Cooking & Company icon as the group profile picture. Pick and share the recipe: Choose something that is relatively simple (doesn t take much prep), fun to cook, and even adaptable for people to exercise their preference and creativity. Encourage participants to share what they are planning to prepare, which will help get others excited and involved. Confirm facilities: Discuss the event with your facilities supervisor so that you are familiar with the most appropriate space to host this function. Things to consider: your facility s fire code, appropriate space and ventilation, proximity to a sink or water supply, being visible to employee traffic, etc. Planning (supplies): Acquire the supplies you need to appropriately outfit cooking stations. Get creative with resources. Decide what needs to be purchased, what can be rented or borrowed, and what can be shared. Enough space for two to three cooking stations would be ideal, in order to enable the social engagement of cooking in this format. Shopping: Purchase any communal ingredients and supplies. Participants will purchase their own additional ingredients if they want to adapt, and have planned ahead. Agree who s paying: Decide beforehand if the company will pay for it, or make an agreement to charge employees and subsidize part of the ingredients. Food storage: Decide where participants will keep their ingredients. Is there a company fridge handy? Find a safe, dry and temperature-appropriate location. Food safety awareness: Make sure participants have a basic understanding about food safety guidelines. Have appropriate cleaning supplies handy for washing hands and keeping food preparation surfaces clean. Set up: Designate a large enough space so employees have enough room to prepare their ingredients and cook. Place two to three cooking stations close to each other so that employees can socialize and compare notes as they cook together. Make sure cooking stations are appropriately equipped with tools. Facilitate fun: As employees engage in their cooking, lure others in on the fun. Help those who are interested but feel intimidated by the experience give them a hands-on demonstration and help them through the process. Give those that are more experienced room to exercise their knowledge and creativity. Let people work together. Clean up: Make agreements with participants about who is responsible for clean-up. Share and socialize: Share recipes so other people can try them at home. Encourage participants to post their photos and feedback on the respective group page. And pass it on! Does someone have a variation they recommend? Build and deepen: If your company already has a community of people that love to cook, go beyond the conventional break room. Consider creating a shared communal kitchen in the office. No more water-cooler gossip take it to the kitchen! EXPENSES EQUIPMENT TIME

8 Toolkit 3 Pop-up Community Cooking EQUIPMENT & RESOURCES A medium-sized space equipped for cooking (appropriate ventilation and space, etc.) located at a visible employee traffic location. 2-3 cooking stations equipped with a portable burner, back-up fuel tank, cutting board and knives, cooking vessels, other cooking tools. Exact equipment list will vary per selected recipe. Waste and compost bins Refrigerator (or large cooler/ice chest to keep ingredients cold) An accessible washing station nearby BENEFITS & IMPACT Education (help develop familiarity with ingredients, how to work with ingredients, and when possible, how to adapt and substitute for them) Having permission and access to cook on site eliminates social barriers at work Addresses a variety of cooking capabilities supports newbies and highlights the experienced Cooking infrastructure not necessary at company site Taking an existing meal time break (breakfast or lunch) works into the natural workflow of a day at the office. Cooking engages employees (active, stimulating, and collaborative) SUGGESTED RECIPES Bacon Omelette Chicken Caesar Salad Grilled Steak & Salsa Verde All-American Pancakes