Summer Of Savings: Free Cooking Classes

BOSTON (CBS) – Cooking at home can save you money over dining out, but cooking classes to improve your skills can cost up to hundreds of dollars in the Boston area.

But there are opportunities to learn with free classes.

Chef Vanessa LaBranche and Boston's Project Bread have a shared mission: "Fresh For Less."

"Fresh for less means basically trying to make something really delicious for less, it doesn't have to cost you a lot of money" says LaBranche.

Project Bread hosts free weekly cooking classes with the goal of giving everyone access to healthy food.

People from all walks of life come to The Kitchen at Boston's Public Market around lunch time to learn how to make quick, easy and most importantly, affordable healthy meals.

"That's what my goal is when I teach these classes. Showing people how they can use things they maybe already have in their house, and make something great out of it" LaBranche says.

The classes at Project Bread are open to aspiring chefs young, and old.

But at Kids Cooking Green, the youngsters run the show.

They offer a series of classes and activities that introduce children to the importance of eating locally grown food.

The classes typically vary in price but Kids Cooking Green is teaming up with the Cary Memorial Library for a free session being held August 1 at the Lexington Farmers' Market.

Registration begins on July 24 at the Cary Library website.