Aurora Moms Get Lesson On Stretching Food $$

At the Moorhead Recreation Center in Aurora, a group of moms meets every Wednesday for 2 hours. The class is called Eat Right and a volunteer chef is teaching them how to incorporate healthy foods into their daily menus.

"We teach them cooking skills, nutrition skills, how to make healthy choices on a limited budget," said Ruth Stemler, Director of Operation Frontline Colorado.

Operation Frontline Colorado is a community nutrition and education program. They have been holding classes in the community for 15 years with the mission of promoting healthy lifestyles.

Now they've teamed up with America On the Move to offer this class with some exercise added on. Before the women get to make the food, they do half-an-hour of exercise.

"We hope that we are changing some behaviors so that they can use these strategies and make healthier choices for their families in the home," Stemler told CBS4.

While many of these women are great cooks, most of them learned from their mothers and may not have learned how to make healthy substitutions or been exposed to some healthier ingredients.

During this class they are learning to make breakfast burritos with tofu. They learn new ways to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables and how to add healthy oils and whole grains to their menus.

"In week five of the classes, we take them to the supermarket and actually in the supermarket teach them shopping strategies so they can maximize their food dollars," Stemler explained.

With every dollar getting stretched in this tight economy, Operation Frontline Colorado and America On the Move wants to make sure people understand that making a healthy choice doesn't always have to be the most expensive choice.

"We teach families how to stretch their food dollar."

At the end of the class, the participants get a bag of groceries to take home so they can use their new skills for their families. At the end of 6 weeks, the hope is they wil have a whole new outlook on the groceries they buy and the meals they prepare.