4-H Cooking programs are a very popular request for after-school programs and clubs in Daviess County.  According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults and build self- confidence. (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.)  4-H Cooking programs give youth the very appealing opportunity to cook and eat, while providing Cooperation Extension and 4-H Staff additional opportunity to teach much more.  4-H Cooking programs introduce important food safety topics such as handwashing, cross-contamination, and keeping hot foods hot, and cold foods cold; all of which, when properly practiced can help prevent food borne illness.  In a time where so many families reach for prepared foods and snacks, 4-H Cooking introduces nutritious recipes for snacks and meals which can be made inexpensively and quickly at home.  Additionally, some research shows that if kids help prepare a food dish, they are more likely to try it. (Children eat more food when they prepare it themselves; NIH; February 1, 2019)

In cooking programs provided at two different schools, over 200 youth participants in grades 4 and 5 made recipes from approved sources Plan. Eat. Move. and 4-H Cooking 101.   Recipes included:  Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits, Buttermilk Pancakes, Colorful Quesadillas, and Enchilada Rice.  Programs also incorporated MyPlate nutrition information and food safety.  A post evaluation survey indicated that 74% of the participants tried something new and over 50% made at least one of the recipes at home.