Thousands of Victoria's schoolchildren have learned how to grow and cook healthy food, thanks to a widespread kitchen-garden program pioneered by celebrated chef Stephanie Alexander.

But what about the parents?

Too often, stressed or busy parents are opting for the fast-food or processed option to feed themselves and their children.

Now a central Victorian school is trialling a program that could change all that.

One mother is even convinced that learning to cook may be helping her recover from a ''broken heart''.

Hope, who only wanted to give her first name, said she had struggled as a new single-parent when her long-term partner left.

"Your heart just gets broken by someone. It hurts so much that it can actually just break," she said.

A combination of stress from the break-up, a family history of heart disease and bad diet plus the financial strain of being a single parent led to Hope suffering a heart attack last year, which she is recovering from slowly.

''Life gets a little bit tough sometimes," she said.

Now the mother-of-three, along with other parents, is being given a chance to get back on her feet and change her lifestyle through a trial program run by the Heathcote Primary School.

Co-ordinator Michele Witham (left) with parent and student Hope (right) learning about the school's kitchen garden herbs. ( ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky )

Principal Kate Ballantyne said what initially started off as a Stephanie Alexander kitchen-garden program at the school was extended to the community as a trial with the help of a local community bank funding grant.

"The kitchen has been a really integral part of this school,'' Ms Ballantyne said.

''It has been a very successful part of the school and we're looking at making those links with the community — not just our school but into the broader community."

Coordinator Michele Witham said while the children had learned to grow and cook their own food many parents were playing "catch up".

"There was a knock-on effect because the kids have become such awesome cooks," she said.

She said children had been growing fresh produce and bringing suggested recipes home, but parents, guardians or grandparents didn't know how to cook it.

Ms Witham said the classes taught community members how to, not only cook healthier meals, but stock the pantry and "budget on a shoestring".

"Hopefully with these workshops it's helping people to cook from scratch without having to spend or invest a lot of money — just like our mums did, and I did with my children," Ms Witham said.

"I feel really good about giving people some basic skills to survive,

"There's something really satisfying for your soul to do this in the household."

Children love the difference

Hope is happier and healthier now she's part of the school cooking program. ( ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky )

Before enrolling in the program Hope's children were eating a lot of pre-packaged foods.

"We used to have potato chips, and chocolate biscuits, muesli bars and LCM bars and stuff like that," she said.

Her pantry now contains less pre-packaged food and more ingredients such as flour and grains — "stuff that you actually cook with''.

"I'm here to help better my life, really to see what tips I can get from Michele of healthy eating," she said.

One of her favourite recipes she has learned to cook is pancakes.

"I've looked for that many different recipes and they just failed but when Michele gave us the recipe the other day, they were really thick and beautiful pancakes," Hope said.

"We made some at home and the kids just loved them — cheaper than buying that shaker thing and heaps better."

Hope is not the only fan, her children are also pleased.

"They can see that it's been made and they love it, they just want to eat it because it's come out of the oven and mum's made it," she said.

The change is worth it

Sandy said most of her money went towards the care of her two children with autism. ( ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky )

Sandy, a single mother of two boys said she had always liked to cook.

"Things that weren't so healthy, like sausage rolls, spaghetti, you know, the good stuff," she said.

She said she was excited about learning how to increase her repertoire which now includes baked pumpkin and traditional mushroom and chicken risotto, served with salad and a lemon cake.

As a mother of two children with autism her greatest challenge was meeting her two son's needs.

"Making sure they're comfortable and safe and have what they need, because it is harder for them to function in the world than it is for me," she said.

Sandy said she was slightly apprehensive about introducing her sons to new food but said the change would be worth it.

"They only eat certain foods or certain textured foods or coloured foods and I think this is going to be good for them too as it could change up their diet a bit," Sandy said.

Her favourite recipe so far has been homemade cordial made from sugar, tartaric acid, citric acid, Epsom salts and lemon juice and rind.

"That cordial was awesome, because my kids aren't really big water drinkers, as much as I'd like them to be so something a little bit healthier, but they're still thinking they're getting cordial which is good," she said.

Eating and talking together

Baked pumpkin risotto is on the cooking class menu along with a more traditional stovetop mushroom version. ( ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky )

Aside from learning new recipes and other life skills each class ends with a shared meal with the "family community".

"Part of what we do here is we sit down at the table and we all eat together and we talk," Ms Witham said.