About Nutra-Net

Nutra-Net is a pioneer in developing effective nutrition and cooking programs for children and adults of all ages. Nutra-Net was founded by Peggy Hausheer, CFCS with a team of other Home Economists and Registered Dietitians with the common vision of making cooking fun and easy for all families.

We've been serving the Kansas City community for nearly 26 years with interactive classes that use nutritious, low-cost ingredients, and common cooking equipment. Our unique Whiz, Zip, Zap pictorial cookbook makes healthy cooking do-able and fun for people of all ages and reading abilities.

We are excited to announce our 2009 release of a fully-revised set of materials, complete with new graphics, re-design of our favorite Nutrasaurus, and leader guides filled with useful tips for teaching kids nutrition through hands-on cooking activities.

How it all began:

Twenty-Six years ago, a small and energetic group of Home Economics professionals, Registered Dietitians and school teachers in Independence, Missouri came together to develop nutrition lessons for low-income families. Nutra-Net was the name given to the nonprofit organization that formed from their passion for assisting others in meeting basic self-sufficiency needs of food preparation and stretching scarce food dollars.

With a rapidly growing and disturbing incidence of childhood obesity, Nutra-Net staff saw this dismal situation as an opportunity to take their unique and effective programming to the children. In 1997, Nutra-Net published two curricula for children-Storytime Cooks and Whiz, Zip, & Zap It!. An accompanying pictorial cookbook is used with both programs. Over the past 10 years, these programs have been highly successful-reaching several thousand children in our community. The children's curricula have been awarded the prestigious Nutrition Action Award by the (international) Society for Nutrition Education, and were recognized by the Missouri Department of Health as "Effective in Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Minority Populations."