Author: Alexandria Bryant
Planning Unit: Breckinridge County CES
Major Program: 4-H Health Core Curriculum
Plan of Work: Improving community wellness through nutrition, physical activity and safety
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21% and youth need healthy cooking and eating habits now more than ever (Trust for Americas Health, 2011). According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults, and build self-confidence. (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.) In order to address these needs and provide opportunities for local teens to develop their confidence and skills related to preparing and eating healthier meals, a 4-H Teen Cuisine school enrichment program was established at Breckinridge County High School in the FCS Classroom. The program provided 6 hours of nutrition and hands-on food preparation education to 20 high school teens. The program was led by the 4-H assistant, SNAPed assistant, and 4-H Agent using the Teen Cuisine (SNAPed approved) curriculum. The hands-on lessons included: MyPlate concepts, food safety, reading recipes, measuring, knife skills, reading and analyzing food labels, kitchen equipment, cooking terminology, caloric needs, healthy breakfast recipes, nutrient dense foods vs. fast food, using a thermometer to learn about proper cooking temperature, preparing low fat versions of popular foods, limiting added sugar, increasing whole grains, the “danger zone” and bacterial growth, analyzing snack foods for added salt, sugar, and fat, preparing healthy snacks, and practicing the principle of cook, clean, chill, and separate. After completing the program, the pre and post-survey results indicated 100% of youth washed vegetables and fruit more often before eating them, 88% put foods back in the refrigerator more often within 2 hours, and 81% checked expiration dates more often before eating or drinking food, made healthier food choices when eating out, and increased the number of days they were physically active for at least 1 hour.
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