Success StoryRecipe for Life Returns



Recipe for Life Returns

Author: Lorie Dunn

Planning Unit: Grant County CES

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Kentucky has a youth obesity rate of 23.8% in youth ages 10-17 and 18.9% of all Kentucky’s children are food insecure.  Grant County Nutrition Education in cooperation with Williamstown Independent School, Grant County Schools, Grant County Family and Consumer Science program, Homemaker volunteers and Spears Free Kitchen presented the Recipe for Life program.  This is the first year since COVID 19 that students were able to go on a field trip and participate in Recipe for Life.  Activities with the youth included GloGerm, Think Your Drink, Physical Activity, My Plate and lessons from the Recipe for Life curriculum.  Youth had the opportunity to improve their measuring, knife skills, food and kitchen safety, reading recipes which making five recipes for their lunches.  Each school sent 5th grade students to the Extension office for two days.   In addition to preparing their own lunches, students also prepared food for the Spears Free Kitchen to help out low income families.  Students had the opportunity to have classroom style lessons and hands on lessons to improve their nutrition knowledge and kitchen skills.  By the end of the program, 89% of the students reported confidence in their cooking skills and 58% reported that they would help prepare meals at home.  Also, 50% of students agreed to include more fruit in their diets.  One teacher stated, “This is the highlight of the year, the kids come back to class with so much more confidence.”  A student stated, “I love to cook now, I didn’t know that I could cook so many things and can’t believe they can taste good and be healthy.”






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