I admit that when I first started reading about Operation Frontline, a program that teaches families “how to plan, purchase, and prepare healthy, tasty, and affordable foods at home,” I was skeptical—because it is funded by the ConAgra Foundation. I assumed the classes would feature ConAgra brands like EggBeaters, Hunt’s, and LaChoy. But from what I can tell, they actually do what they claim to do, and judging by the recipe book [pdf], they make no reference to specific brands, just make generic references to ingredients such as “canned chickpeas.”

Operation Frontline is in its second year and is claiming good results:

• 87% of Adults report improving their cooking skills after graduating from an Operation Frontline course, which means they’re better equipped to make healthy meals for their families at home.
• 96% of kids who take Operation Frontline’s Side By Side course enjoyed cooking alongside their parents during class, an important element in continuing to prepare and eat healthy meals together as a family.
• After participating in Operation Frontline, at least 69% of adults said they were eating more fruit and vegetables than before the course.

Somehow they did this without dumping vats of chicken bits in the town square or other histrionics. A little respect goes a long way. —Snacktime