According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the obesity rate for children ages 9-12 in Kentucky is 20.2%. Recent research has indicated that teaching cooking skills to children encourages healthier food choices, which can lower obesity rates. In an effort to address this problem, the Simpson County 4-H Youth Development offered several opportunities for youth to learn cooking skills this year.  

The 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agents, along with the Franklin-Simpson Schools Community Education Director, presented a Super Star Chef program in June. This two-day camp for ages 9-12 is designed to teach kitchen safety, food safety, nutrition concepts, and physical activity.  In addition, the children practiced food preparation skills.  Sixteen children completed the pretest and posttest to examine the impact of the program on their nutrition knowledge and cooking self-efficacy.  Participant responses showed that the program enhanced all participants understanding of the nutrition concepts covered in the program.  Following the program, 100% could identify healthy foods, 93% plan to drink more water every day, 85% plan to eat more fruit, and 85% plan to try new foods.  Two participants reported, “We have cooked eggs for breakfast since Super Star Chef.” Several parents also commented how much their children learned from the camp and are now helping in the kitchen.  

4-H also offered two 4-H Cooking Clubs this year and the 4-H agent taught a Measuring Lab for 243 4^th graders.  The clubs were for grades 3-5 and for middle/high school age.  Each club met October to June and attendance averaged 12 per meeting.  Topics covered during the club meetings included: Kitchen Safety, Germs & Cross Contamination, Nutrition, Fruits & Veggies, Growing Your Own Food, Cooking with Spices, and Meal Prep/Budgeting.  Youth prepared a Plate It Up recipe along with each lesson that allowed them to enhance their cooking skills.  Measuring lab participants learned the difference in dry and liquid measuring cups and learned how to properly use them, then demonstrated by making individual Teen Cuisine Banana Puddings.  A posttest indicated 90% of participants learned at least one new unit of measure, 81% learned the difference in dry & liquid measuring cups & how to properly use them, and 12% reporting cooking at home for the first time afterwards.  All participants received a set of measuring cups to use when cooking at home.