Food workshops, nutrition education, and older adults: a process evaluation.

Three years of process evaluation data are presented for Evergreen ActionNutrition food workshops conducted at an older adults' recreation center. Over a three-year period, 475 written evaluations of single and three-session series workshops were completed. Additionally, data were collected from four focus groups of older adult participants (n = 19). Older persons report intention to change behavior based on attendance at a single workshop. Series workshop participants report increased knowledge, confidence in cooking, and motivation to make changes. Focus group participants identified the following as key aspects to success and empowerment of behavior change: relevant information, specifically in the form of recipes; interactive format, including taste-testing; social experience; consistent, high-quality education; and small size of the group. Food workshops or demonstrations can be meaningful nutrition education activities for older adults.