The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming fruit and vegetables daily to reduce the risk for diet-related chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and obesity. A nutritious diet is important for proper growth from childhood to adulthood. Research has shown that youth with nutritious eating habits are more likely to sustain such habits into adulthood. Despite these findings, fruit and vegetable consumption among American youth falls short. Additionally, Kentucky ranks as one of the highest states for soda consumption among youth, according to the CDC’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

Nutrition education and cooking programs for youth are proven strategies to enhance the likelihood of trying new foods and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. The Recipes for Life (RFL) program is a hands-on cooking and nutrition curriculum for fifth-grade youth. Participants attend a day of learning at the Extension office. They are divided into small teams to work with an adult volunteer to learn about healthy eating, nutrition, food safety, food preparation techniques, as well as time management and mathematical strategies in the kitchen.

University of Kentucky’s Nutrition Education Program (NEP) selects several counties each year to fund the implementation of the RFL program through the SNAP-Ed grant. In the 2023-2024 grant year, NEP funded eleven counties to implement the program. Across eleven counties, 1,980 fifth-grade students participated in the program in the 2023-2024 grant year. Extension Agents can implement the program, outside of the SNAP-Ed funded counties, amounting to a total of 1,967 participants. Following the program, 76% of participants reported an intention to try new foods, 62% to eat more vegetables and 62% reported an intention to eat more fruits. 68% of youth reported an intention to help prepare food at home. Youth were supplied with an assortment of cooking-related reinforcement items and a recipe booklet to reinforce favorable behavior change outside of the classroom.