Youth shine in the kitchen with Super Star Chef camp

Studies show that children who help cook at home are more likely to enjoy fruits and veggies than those who don’t cook.  This summer the Graves County Extension 4-H program offered twenty junior 4-H’ers the opportunity to work with University of Kentucky SNAP Ed interns and learn how to sauté, dice, chop, roast and whip! The 9 to 12 year olds gained hands-on cooking experience and were introduced to new foods and recipes as they prepare healthy dishes like fresh salsa, fruity parfaits, tasty veggie pizza and oven-baked calzones.  During the three-day program, participants learned cooking skills and how to make healthy choices while tasting new recipes and gaining confidence in the kitchen. Level of skill in the kitchen and student goals varied, some wanted to just learn to make an after-school snack and others had dreams of becoming a professional chef, however everyone had a great time.  All twenty students indicated that they tried foods that they had never tried before and all twenty students indicated in a follow up survey that they had used skills learned in the summer cooking class at home.  4-H programs are geared toward “learning by doing” and by providing children the opportunity to learn these valuable life skills while being exposed to healthy habits that will help them grow into healthy adults, Extension is helping build a community of healthier individuals.