Collective kitchens are defined in a general way as groups of persons who meet to plan, shop for and cook meals, in large quantities. The purpose of this study was to explore the health promotion and food security experiences of collective kitchen members, during and away from collective kitchen meetings. The study used qualitative methods, including semi-participant observation and in-depth interviews to study collective kitchen groups. Between September 2000 and June 2002, a total of 21 collective kitchen groups in Saskatoon, Toronto and Montréal were sampled for maximum variation in terms of: type of participant; structure of the group belonged to; and support at the community and organizational level. Data was collected during prolonged observation throughout group planning and cooking sessions, and by conducting in-depth interviews with participants and group leaders. Additionally, data on the community, and the quality and quantity of organizational support provided to collective kitchen groups in each of the three cities, located in three different provinces, was collected through key informant interviews. Observations were recorded using field notes. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Observation and interview data from each of the three cities were analyzed separately for dominant themes and then integrated together to establish patterns of collective impacts on the lives of participants. Results indicate the benefits of collective cooking are numerous. First and foremost they are social support and reducing isolation are central themes to collective kitchen participation. Second they are educational elements include healthy eating and other food-related skills and learning, as well as some political and social education. Third, for some groups, particularly those experiencing less severe food insecurity, collective kitchen participation might increase food security. Additional impacts of participation include some aspects of community development and personal empowerment. While this research discusses many positive impacts of collective kitchens, poverty and community disintegration will not be solved by community programming alone.

Collective kitchens are defined in a general way as groups of persons who meet to plan, shop for and cook meals, in large quantities. The purpose of this study was to explore the health promotion and food security experiences of collective kitchen members, during and away from collective kitchen meetings. The study used qualitative methods, including semi-participant observation and in-depth interviews to study collective kitchen groups. Between September 2000 and June 2002, a total of 21 collective kitchen groups in Saskatoon, Toronto and Montréal were sampled for maximum variation in terms of: type of participant; structure of the group belonged to; and support at the community and organizational level. Data was collected during prolonged observation throughout group planning and cooking sessions, and by conducting in-depth interviews with participants and group leaders. Additionally, data on the community, and the quality and quantity of organizational support provided to collective kitchen groups in each of the three cities, located in three different provinces, was collected through key informant interviews. Observations were recorded using field notes. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Observation and interview data from each of the three cities were analyzed separately for dominant themes and then integrated together to establish patterns of collective impacts on the lives of participants. Results indicate the benefits of collective cooking are numerous. First and foremost they are social support and reducing isolation are central themes to collective kitchen participation. Second they are educational elements include healthy eating and other food-related skills and learning, as well as some political and social education. Third, for some groups, particularly those experiencing less severe food insecurity, collective kitchen participation might increase food security. Additional impacts of participation include some aspects of community development and personal empowerment. While this research discusses many positive impacts of collective kitchens, poverty and community disintegration will not be solved by community programming alone.

Introduction Community Kitchens (CKs) are one of the main providers of food to low-income families in Peru and may serve to improve the offer of healthier diets. This study aims to determine the prevalence of, and sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with fruits and vegetables consumption among CKs customers. Methods A cross-sectional study enrolling customers of 48 CKs in two areas of Lima, Peru, was performed. The outcome variable was the self-reported amount of fruits and vegetables consumed (<5 vs. ≥5 servings/day). The exposures were grouped in sociodemographic variables (age, gender, education level, familial income, marital status, and place of birth), and self- reported intention to change eating and exercise related habits in the last four weeks before interview. Poisson regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results Data from 422 persons were analyzed, 328 females (77.9%), mean age 43.7 (±14.5) years. Only 36 (8.5%; 95% CI 5.9%-11.2%) customers reported consuming ≥5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This pattern was 4-fold more likely among those with higher levels of education (≥12 vs. <7 years) and 64% less common for migrants born outside of Lima relative non-migrants. In terms of intentions to change eating-related habits, those who reported having tried to reduce sugar consumption or to eat more fruits were up to 90% more likely to meet the ≥5 servings/day target. Conclusions A substantial gap in the consumption of ≥5 servings of fruits and vegetables/day has been found among CK customers and apparently it is not dependent of familial income. The profiles reported in this study can inform appropriate strategies to increase healthier eating in this population.