YESAction Initiatives
YESCooking
YESCooking
Teaching young people to cook affordable, healthy, sustainable meals at home.
The Problem We're Solving
Fast food has become the default choice for convenience, but that convenience comes at a cost. Fast food contributes heavily to annual food packaging waste and is often loaded with grease and low-quality ingredients. Most people default to it not because home cooking is actually harder, but because they've never built the habit or learned how easy it can be. Without early exposure to cooking, people miss out on healthier, more sustainable meals — and on a skill that pays off for life.
Foundation
Every chapter participating in YESCooking should:
Share accessible content — recipes, tips, and cooking basics — that make home cooking feel approachable rather than intimidating.
Educate members on the health and environmental impact of fast food versus home-cooked meals, so the choice becomes informed, not just habitual.
This foundation alone builds environmental literacy at scale. Most people don't need to be convinced sustainability matters — they need to be shown exactly what to do about it.
Going Further
Chapters that want to extend their impact can:
Host hands-on cooking events — group cook-alongs, meal-prep workshops, or budget-cooking challenges that give members real kitchen experience.
Build their own creative extensions — video tutorials, recipe collections tailored to their community, or partnerships with local nutrition or sustainability groups. If your chapter does something new, share it with us so other chapters can learn from your work.
Awareness alone rarely changes behavior — repetition and community accountability do. Pairing consistent online content with real-world touchpoints turns passive followers into people who've actually changed a habit, not just read about one.
How We Support You
YESAction is here to help. Chapters working on YESCooking can reach out to us for:
Recipe development and content templates for blogs and social posts
Fact-checked material on the health and environmental impact of fast food
Guidance on planning cook-alongs, meal-prep sessions, or cooking challenges
Connections to chapters running successful cooking programs
Recognition
As we roll out our chapter recognition system, your chapter's participation in YESCooking will count toward your standing. Chapters that complete the foundation — sharing accessible content and educating on fast food's impact — will be recognized. Chapters that go further by hosting cooking events or building creative content will earn higher recognition.
