Cooking demonstrations have long been used in nutrition programs to educate communities about healthier food choices and practical skills. However, as the term demonstration suggests, these sessions are often passive and mostly focused on teaching and showing, rather than motivating and engaging, two prerequisites for sustained behaviour change.
The NICE project reimagined communal cooking by transforming demonstrations into interactive, co-created experiences. Men and women, alongside local health professionals and nutritionists, jointly identified small, healthy twists to beloved meals and developed new recipes they were motivated to try at home. Three core behavioural science principles underpin each co-created idea: the meal must be affordable, easy to prepare and enjoyable for the whole family. These ideas became the foundation of NICE Smart Foods sessions, where community members and their children come together to discuss everyday challenges related to diet, childcare, and daily life.
Guided by a facilitator trained in behavioural change techniques, conversations are gently moderated to elicit local solutions, while weaving in co-created meal tweaks, healthy swaps, and recipes. Each session culminates in communal cooking, a shared meal, and a commitment to try the recipe at home. Hosted in community health centres across Rwanda, Smart Foods sessions promote behaviour change, gender inclusion, and lasting improvements in family nutrition.
The testimonies below, shared by male and female caregivers who participated in these sessions, highlight how NICE is empowering communities to transform their dietary habits with ease and self-motivation.
A Father Steps Forward: Eric Ntakirutimana – Murara Health Centre
“I was hesitant to join at first. I thought the cooking sessions were only for mothers. But when I attended on behalf of my sick wife, I quickly realised I was wrong.”
Eric, a father of three, discovered the NICE Project through an invitation from an ECD supervisor. Initially resistant, he soon found the sessions eye-opening.
“Before the NICE Project, I believed nutritious food was expensive. I didn’t value vegetables and fruits for children. The cooking demonstrations helped me understand food groups, proper cooking, and the role of fathers in preparing a balanced diet. I learned that good nutrition is possible using locally available foods, and that making healthy meals simple and enjoyable for my family truly matters”
Today, Eric supports his wife in preparing healthier meals, reminds her to include vegetables regularly and ensures kitchen hygiene is upheld in their household. His story is a testament to how inclusive programming can mobilise fathers as partners in nutrition and caregiving.
Rediscovering Everyday Ingredients: Sifa Nyabade – Kabali Health Centre
“I used to cook a dish known as Imvange (A creamy peanut stew made with leafy greens), but didn’t add dried small fish, even though they’re cheap and available in my local market.”
Before attending the sessions, Sifa followed inherited cooking habits with little attention to dietary diversity or child-specific meals, not because she did not know that nutrition is important, but because making her meals more nutritious seemed complex and out-of-reach to her. Vegetables were overcooked, and nutrient-rich foods like local fish were overlooked.
Through the NICE cooking sessions, she gained skills in food hygiene, healthy cooking methods, and using local ingredients to achieve balance and joyful eating.
“Now my children eat better and are healthier. I reduce food waste, and our meals are more nutritious.”
Sifa’s story illustrates how small tweaks to familiar meals, when paired with hands-on cooking and social proof, can help form tiny habits, shift daily meal choices and eventually improve nutrition outcomes for families.
A New Approach to Everyday Meals: Maria Uwayeu – Rugerero Health Centre
Maria faced common barriers like tight budgets and repetitive meal preparation.
“I used to buy Ndazi (soft, lightly sweet deep-fried dough snacks) instead of an egg, thinking they were cheaper. But now I know better.”
The cooking sessions, especially hearing others’ stories, inspired Maria to diversify meals using the same household budget. She learned better cooking techniques, food safety, and how to prioritise child nutrition without breaking the bank. Most importantly, seeing the impact of the tiny changes on her children’s health motivated her to stick with it and keep going, which really is behavioural change 101.
“Today, I prepare balanced meals every day. My children are healthier and more energetic, and I share what I’ve learned with other mothers in my village. Even my husband is amazed at how diverse our meals are, using the same amount of money he provides.”
Maria’s story shows how accessible, local solutions can improve family nutrition and build confidence among women to lead change in their communities.
What These Stories Tell Us
These stories are not about teaching people what healthy eating is. They show how change happens when programmes are designed with people, not for them.
They highlight that:
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- Change sticks when it is co-created and rooted in lived experience.
The cooking demonstrations worked because they started from what families already cook, value, and care about (taste, budget, pride in feeding their children, and school performance). By cooking together and adapting familiar meals, participants saw themselves in the solutions, making change feel relevant and worth trying.
- Change sticks when it is co-created and rooted in lived experience.
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- Action matters more than information.
Rather than delivering advice, the sessions focused on doing — cooking, tasting, discussing, and practising small, concrete changes that fit easily into daily routines. This made healthier choices visible, doable, and easy to repeat at home.
- Action matters more than information.
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- Motivation and ownership grow through inclusion.
By intentionally involving fathers alongside mothers, the sessions reinforced that food choices and family well-being are a shared responsibility. Recognising and celebrating men’s contributions strengthens supportive home environments for children’s health, growth, and learning.
- Motivation and ownership grow through inclusion.
Together, these testimonies highlight the power of behaviourally informed, community-led programming. These approaches build confidence, reinforce everyday action, and create lasting change by working with people’s realities rather than prescribing ideal