The McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service SNAP-Ed assistant partnered with Paducah Tilghman High School Community Work Transition Program for youth with cognitive disabilities.  Four students along with their teacher attended a six-session series of Teen Cuisine. 

The youth worked on new kitchen skills of measuring, reading recipes, making healthy choices with my plate and food safety practices.

Improvements recorded during the six sessions included. 

• 100% ate more vegetables and whole grain foods, improved handwashing before eating along with making improvements being more active daily. 
• 75% drank milk more often along with choosing lower fat foods when offered.
• 50% drank less sugary drinks while adding more fruit daily and were checking expiration dates on foods. 

Each week new life skills were introduced operating both electric & gas stoves, microwave ovens and proper hand washing of dishes after each use. “The teacher stated that one students parent commented their student was helping in the kitchen more and washing dishes at home.”

Along with learning a lot of new skills they enjoyed preparing their own lunches during each session One youth in the group brought a packed lunch to each session and ate from it after trying only one bite of the foods prepared. He gradually didn’t eat form his lunch box and ate foods cooked by the group and on the last class attended didn’t bring a packed lunch and enjoyed homemade pizzas.