This study investigated the adoption and use of practices in preparation and use of vegetables following adult classes in nutrition. Data were obtained on 63 Brazilian women through interviews, diet intake records, a pretest in nutrition, and a food belief inventory, and practices were compared on prior use, adoption, combined use, rejection, and the percent adoption of available practices. The use of all practices increased, with 89% adoption of principles of food preparation. Economic advantage, relative advantage, and compatibility were positively related to use; complexity was negatively related. Adoption and use bore little relationship to age, income, education, prior knowledge of nutrition, present adequacy of diet, or food beliefs. The major conclusions were that a short series of nutrition classes can effectively influence the adoption of practices and that the practices most readily adopted are based on principles of food preparation, have a nutritional advantage, and are applicable in more than one situation. Expansion of similar short courses was recommended along with special efforts to reach very low income groups. (author/ly)