Cooking

The following are a selection of images, captions, and quotes from Flint residents who participated in the photo project on food access in Flint and the impact of COVID-19. Most of the photos show intersecting themes, for example one photo and caption might illustrate family, cooking and healthy eating. Photos on these pages are just shared in one category to help show the breadth of data we received.

These data illustrate the theme of cooking.

This theme appeared 292 times in the data.

We define the cooking theme as knowing how to make food, or use ingredients to make meals.

Flint Residents Shared

Zucchini pesto pasta
“Zucchini Pesto Pasta (2/1/2021) – Zucchini spiral sliced into noodles = a.k.a. zoodles. This is the first time I have thoroughly enjoyed “zoodles.” Now that I’ve laid off the processed foods and unnecessary ingredients, zucchini actually tastes a bit sweet and more complex to me. Basil was expensive but I was excited to find enough relatively affordable potted basil at Meijer to make the delicious pesto! A great excuse to dust off my spiral slicer which I haven’t used in years.”

Pink and white cake pops
“I made some cake pops for my niece but I’ve been so busy! I’ll take some pics at dinner and in the morning. I did use real strawberry purée in the French vanilla cake pops. I’ve been dabbling in new recipes since the pandemic. Trying new fruit and veggies.”

5 loaves of bread rising
“And baked bread. Here it is rising. I have to make enough for all my friends too!”

Meal in a pan
“$2 for stuffing mix and items from the pantry, I’m feeding a family with two loved ones in the hospital.”

Two cookbooks marketed towards children
“Another way the kids have been involved in food-related matters is helping out in the kitchen. Our eight-year-old son, [NAME], enjoys cooking from time to time, and it has become one of the activities we have tried to encourage during the pandemic.”

To learn more about the Flint Leverage Points Project, watch our Flint Food System Video.

To learn more about this photo project, visit our Briefing Notes page.

Explore other themes, images, and data.

*Note: The statements provided here represent the voices of the Flint residents who participated in this research project. They are not necessarily reflective of the values or opinions of Michigan State University or its affiliates.