Madison County adult obesity rate in 2023 was at 36%, almost parallel to Kentucky’s 2023 state obesity rate of 37%. These high rates of obesity leave us to wonder if we, as adults, are failing to teach our children the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity habits when they are young. Could empowering them with knowledge enable them to make healthier choices that could affect their health as adults? In Madison County, life skills classes, such as cooking, budgeting, and family care, have been removed from all levels of the school curriculum. Later, as they move into Middle School, recess is removed from the day as well as lowered gym class expectations. Is this adding to the steadily rising adult obesity average?

Madison County has ten elementary schools, all of which have Family Resource Centers (FRC). These FRCs not only provide families and students with much needed support, but they also provide school programming targeted toward student growth and family involvement. One elementary school, Kingston, has been an active community partner with Madison County Cooperative Extension for many years. They partnered with the Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant Senior to provide nutrition education with the hopes of educating third, fourth and fifth grade students. However, with no former life skills classes being offered at this school, there was no kitchen for the Assistant Senior to hold this class. It was suggested by the principal that the Assistant Senior and FRC Director hold these classes in the cafeteria and plan a menu around no cook recipes.

A seven-week program was planned, meeting an hour and a half each week. The students were given ingredients and a recipe to assemble and sample, along with instruction on physical activity, recipe reading, label reading, hand washing and food safety, healthier food and drink choices and MyPlate selections, knife skills, and most importantly, encouragement to make healthier food selections on their own. After each class, the Assistant Senior would ask how the students would change the day’s featured recipe to make it their own. They all had wonderful healthy suggestions, such as replacing onions with fresh tomatoes or adding pepper flakes to salsa to give it a kick. Every week, at least one student would recreate the recipe for their family and share with the class how they changed it up. At the end, 94% improved daily food choices, 94% improved at least one food behavior, and 72% improved in physical activity. It was suggested that since there was no cooking, we call it an “Eating Club”. This suggestion is being considered…