Thanks for visiting Food Hero 

We think you'll love spending time with us.

With Food Hero, you can budget for, plan, and create countless healthy, super tasty meals and learn how to grow your own food. We have healthy and tasty recipes, meal ideas, budgeting, shopping, and many more cooking tips and tools, plus ways to connect with other Food Heroes. 

We publish a monthly newsletter, "Food Hero Monthly" and are also on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.  Like a recipe? Please share your comments on our recipes in the comment section of the recipe.

Food Hero is often out in communities around Oregon - keep an eye out for the Food Hero logo! 

Some frequently asked questions:

• How can I become a Food Hero?
• What do I get if I register for Food Hero?
• Where do Food Hero recipes come from?
• How can I find or sort recipes?
• What is our mission?
• How are we funded?
• How are we funded?

Want to connect with a real person at Food Hero? Email us at food.hero@oregonstate.edu

Have you seen a bug on the Food Hero website? An error or omission or something just isn’t working? Maybe you have an idea for new content. Please contact the Food Hero web team via email foodheroweb@oregonstate.edu

Thanks again for visiting Food Hero.  Come back often!

-The Team

How can I become a Food Hero?

You can become a Food Hero by registering on the website. Simply click "Register" on the far right hand side of any page of the website and follow the prompts.

What do I get if I register for Food Hero?

When you register, you can do the following:

• save your favorite recipes
• post comments about recipes
• send recipes to your mobile phone via a text (your phone carrier's standard message and data rates may apply)
• sign up to receive updates via email
• suggest tips

We do not share any of your information with anyone else.

• We ask for your email address only to send you  information you request.  You can opt out at anytime. 
• We ask for your phone number only if you choose to text something to yourself. 
• We ask if you receive SNAP benefits because part of our funding is from this program.  It helps to be able to show that SNAP participants are using the website.  Information on SNAP participants will only be shared as grouped data (aggregate) without any identifiable names attached. 

Where do Food Hero recipes come from?

Recipes that make it to Food Hero have had a long journey getting there.  Most of the recipes have been used by our nutrition educators in the field and then submitted to the Food Hero team to be considered for the website.  

All recipes go through testing.  In addition to being tested for overall flavor, color, and texture we look for recipes that have low-cost and easy to find ingredients, easy to follow instructions, and a reasonable preparation time.  Each recipe is tasted and rated by several people.  After being tested a recipe either passes through this step as it was submitted, is revised and then retested, or once in a while is deemed unusable for Food Hero.

Once a recipe makes it through testing we use a computer program to create a nutrition facts label and check that the recipe in its final form meets our nutrition program criteria.  Serving sizes for nutrition analysis are based on FDA serving sizes.

Once a recipe is posted on FoodHero.org we monitor user comments and comments from our 100+ educators who use the recipe in the field.  We edit recipes often based on comments.  Such as adding in great ideas educators have for ingredient substitutions.  

How can I find or sort recipes?

One of the features in the top right-hand corner of the recipe section is the ability to sort or group recipes to make it easier to find what you are looking for.  The Tips & Tools section of Food Hero can also be sorted.

What is our mission?

Food Hero’s mission is to help low-income Oregonians improve their health by increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables.  Food Hero is a multi-channel social marketing campaign which aims to meet our goals through work at the direct education level as well as work at the policy, systems and environment levels.

How are we are funded?

Food Hero is a social marketing initiative of the Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service in collaboration with the Oregon State University Extension Service and the Oregon Department of Human Services.

This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. SNAP can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact Oregon State Safe Net at 211.

Oregon State University Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and health materials on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, genetic information, veteran's status, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) This institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.

Contact Information

To find a Food Hero location in your local county, view this interactive map.  The location page will allow you to contact your local unit by email or phone.