Food and Nutrition Project

What is it All About?

If you enjoy cooking or just like good food, this project could be for you. You will have fun learning the basics of cooking and then advance to gourmet meals. This project focuses not only on food and cooking, but also nutrition and using MyPlate to guide eating and meal preparation and planning.

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Grow in Your Project

Beginner

Learn how MyPlate can help guide your eating choices
Understand how to keep your food safe
Know basic kitchen safety
Learn measuring basics
Understand how to follow a recipe
Develop basic cooking “how to” skills
Use your skills to make simple recipes

Intermediate

Learn the science behind food safety
Learn fire safety in the kitchen
Develop knife skills
Learn different mixing techniques
Identify different cooking techniques
Understand nutrition labels
Use your knowledge of food groups to create different recipes

Advanced

Know the conditions that bacteria need to grow
Explore outdoor cooking
Plan a party
Learn about cooking with a slow cooker
Experiment with kneading
Learn troubleshooting techniques when experiencing unexpected results
Cook with spices and herbs
Prepare celebration meals

Click Here for Food and Nutrition Project Member Resources

Click Here for Food and Nutrition Project Leader Resources

Project Leader Resources

01516Y Cooking Helper’s Guide*

Take Your Project Further!

Track eating habits and physical activity in a journal. Review entries and set a goal that will help make a small improvement in how youth eat or exercise
Experiment with different recipes, modify recipes to reduce the fat, sugar or sodium content
Visit several grocery stores and compare the cost of similar foods
Learn how to make a weekly meal plan and grocery list
Volunteer at a food pantry, research recipes to share based on high volume foods
Bake with elderly at a care center or with children at a daycare
Volunteer to prepare a family meal each week
Organize a food drive in your community

Applying Project Skills to Life

Enhance Your Communication Skills

Teach friends how to make healthy snacks
Tell your family about the importance of eating a variety of foods from all the food groups
Design a poster about kitchen safety

Get Involved in Citizenship and Service

Create an exhibit featuring a nutrition topic for a health fair or community event
Cook foods from diverse cultures to develop a better understanding and appreciation for cultures different than your own
Volunteer to cook a meal at a community food kitchen, low income housing site, or for a local family in need

Learn about Leadership

Plan and help prepare a healthy snack for a community club meeting
Plan and cater a countywide 4-H event or fundraiser
Organize an “Iron Chef” competition featuring activities, cooking lessons and exhibits

Showing What You’ve Learned

Make something using the skills you have learned
Bake something to show how to modify a recipe to make it healthier
Plan a weekly menu using MyPlate
A display of the different food groups
A poster on common food bacteria
A display of food safety practices
A video of proper knife cuts
A portfolio of favorite recipes and their nutritional value
Create weekly budget for a menu you developed
A photos display of a special meal you made for your family
A display on foods from other cultures
A display comparing sports drinks and water
A poster showing results of a food taste test you did using generic vs. name brand products

Adapted with permission from Wyoming State 4-H, Project Information Sheet, Food and Nutrition. Retrieved from: https://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/projects/healthy-living/foods-nutrition.html.

*Resources available at your local Extension office or shop4-H.org.

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