Healthy habits can start at a young age. Kids have so many choices and influences on what they choose to eat. However, in Kentucky many are choosing to eat foods that are not very nutritious. Many Kentuckians suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. In an effort to get children to make healthier choices a partnership was formed between the Bourbon County Cooperative Extension Service and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. During one week in the summer kids had the opportunity to attend a program called Super Star Chef. 8 different sessions were taught. The session topics included My Plate, how to cook using fruits and vegetables, food safety, physical activity, and basic kitchen safety.

There were fifty-two students attended all 8 sessions of the Super Star Chef Program. After the program, all 52 students showed an improvement in their knowledge to make healthier food choices. Over half (60%) of the participants reported they were more likely to eat vegetables and almost all (92%) reported that they were more likely to choose healthy snacks. The students were excited to come in each day and find out what new fruit or vegetable they were going to try. After cooking spaghetti squash one students commented “I think I like this better than regular spaghetti.”