Coming to a library near you: Cooks & Books. The Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society (MWFLS), Island Health, and Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) are teaming up to help you eat – and live – healthier. The three-part Cooks & Books series kicks off with Soup In A Jar, being offered at all five VIRL locations in the North Island.

“Food is a natural fit for us,” says Jeanne James-Hory, the MWFLS Adult Literacy Coordinator. “Every step of food preparation – shopping, reading labels, following a recipe, managing a budget – involves literacy. We call this ‘food literacy,’ and it’s something we all need to thrive.”

In the first program, Soup In A Jar, participants learn how to assemble a jar of dried ingredients that will create a delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly dinner. All the materials will be supplied, and participants take home their homemade soup mix. 

Brenna Jefferson, a registered dietitian with Island Health, says, “dry soup mixes take the stress out of mealtime and offer an affordable, reliable meal solution. They store well for months and with a bit of water, deliver a nutritious and comforting option when time or fresh ingredients are limited.” “We’re very excited to offer Cooks & Books in our North Island branches,” says Library Manager Laura Kaminker. “The library is all about lifelong learning, building community, and finding fun ways to make life more interesting and affordable. Cooks & Books checks every box.” Future Cooks & Books programs will include Energy Balls and Popcorn Spices. Both help you eat healthy on a budget.  “Money and time are tight for everyone, and health can get sacrificed along the way,” says Jefferson. “Cooks & Books will teach you more than recipes. It will give you ideas and strategies to make healthy choices that fit in with your life.”