Many life skills that used to be taught at home 30-40 years ago must be learned in other ways now.  Cooking healthy meals is one of those life skills.  With over 20% of youth ages 10-19 considered overweight or obese, Kentucky ranks third in the nation for overweight youth (stateofobesity.org).  Learning to prepare healthy foods through proper cooking techniques leads to healthier adults because they can use these skills for a lifetime.  Learning to cook also leads to more self-confidence in youth.

Youth cooking programs is a need that was identified by the Russell Co. Extension Council.  When the opportunity came to partner with the Food and Nutrition Program at the University of Kentucky, Russell County 4-H took advantage of the opportunity to participate.  Eleven 4-H members participated in the three-day cooking boot camp; 82% of the participants were female and 18% were male.  They ranged in age from 9-12.  

The youth that participated had the opportunity to learn about proper handwashing and safe food handling to prevent contamination and food-borne illnesses.  They also learned proper knife skills, liquid and dry measuring skills, oven and stovetop safety, healthy food choices, and food thermometers.  In addition to food preparation skills, the youth learned about MyPlate and the importance of daily physical activity.  Pre- and post-testing was conducted by the instructors.  The youth showed measurable knowledge gains in the following areas:  identifying alternate protein sources (i.e. beans and nut butters), correct way to hold a knife, how to guide food when using a knife, steps to keep food safe, stove safety, testing if meats are cooked appropriately, and methods of cleaning fruits and vegetables prior to consumption.

The youth were given a self-assessment after the program.  All of the youth indicated that they could identify healthy foods.  They also said they planned to drink more water, be more physically active, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

A local partner in the cooking program was the food service of our local school system.  They provided healthy lunches each day to the youth at no cost to the Extension Service or to the families.

One parent said, “This has been such an awesome opportunity for my daughter!  It was an excellent program!  Thank you to the chefs and everyone that was involved.”