vegetable and meat tray

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.

Start your food journey today

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Talk to a Nutrition Expert

Trust the advice backed by University of Illinois researchers on the journey to a healthier you.
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Follow our Food Blog

Your busy lifestyle doesn't leave time for guessing. Get the latest nutrition information each week.
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Attend a Workshop

From preservation to meal planning to preparation, we offer easy solutions to the question "what's for dinner?"

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

A field of crops, the Morrow Plot, on the U of I campus
Defining the modern ‘land-grant mission’ at ACES
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign often cites its land-grant legacy, but the land-grant university system is not a well-known...
Woman showing gardeners a pollinator garden.
Grow healthier ecosystems at home this pollinator month
URBANA, Ill. — Planting native flowers in a backyard, patio container, or community garden can provide critical food and habitat for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. This June, in recognition of National Pollinator Month, University of Illinois Extension encourages community members to...

Workshops

Check out Illinois Extension’s complete offerings