Food and Nutrition Project

Young 4-H member holding a bowl of cherry tomatoes

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.

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

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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