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Illinois Extension Food

Healthy food choices lead to healthier lives.

Preparing healthy meals can be challenging.

We know you want healthy meals for your family. You need simple, healthy options; instead, you're bombarded with nutrition claims everywhere you turn. You're unsure what to believe and who to trust. Eating healthy shouldn't be this hard. At Illinois Extension, we take the guesswork out of nutrition. Our educators provide unbiased, research-based information and make it easy to understand. We have nothing to sell, so all you get are the facts. Then, you confidently choose what works for you and the people you love.

Choose how you learn: Watch a video, read a blog, or attend a workshop.

  • Food Preservation: Enjoy garden-fresh foods all year by preserving at home. Preservation methods have changed over the years to improve the safety and longevity of stored foods.
  • Food Preparation: Answer 'What's for dinner?" with easy recipes and proven meal plans. From meals tailored for certain health conditions such as diabetes to cooking for families, scope out some easy, nutritious options. 
  • Food Safety: Your family’s health and safety is important, so learn the essentials of preparing, serving, and storing foods from processing meats and produce to storing restaurant leftovers.
  • Food Waste: Ever wondered what else you could do with food waste besides throwing it out? Learn strategies and tips for composting at home.
  • Nutrition: Good health begins with a well-balanced diet. But what exactly does that look like and how does it change over time? Explore options for managing critical nutritional needs for you and your family.
  • Buying Food: Many families spend as much on their monthly food budget as they do on housing. Make your next trip to the grocery store less painful on your wallet.
  • Selling Food: Safety standards ensure that cottage food products are safe, healthy, and enjoyable for all.
News
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Hunters Feeding Illinois provides 97,000 meals to Illinois families
URBANA, Ill. — In the 2024-25 hunting season, Hunters Feeding Illinois distributed 25,794 pounds of frozen, ground venison to 54 food pantries across east-central and southern Illinois. This provided an estimated 97,000 meals, reaching nearly 49,800 families.Formerly the Illinois Deer...
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March is Extension Living Well Month
URBANA, Ill. — This March, Illinois residents are invited to take advantage of educational opportunities provided by University of Illinois Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences team. March 2025 is Extension Living Well Month as...
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Learn tips for a healthy pregnancy, toddler nutrition
URBANA, Ill. — The 1,000 days between a person's pregnancy and their child's second birthday offer a unique opportunity to build a healthier and more prosperous future, so knowing how to care for mother and baby during this period is vital. The University of Illinois Extension...
Workshops

Check out Illinois Extension’s complete offerings

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Email: extension@illinois.edu

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