Among other topics, youth learn how to use MyPlate, avoid spreading germs while cooking, measure and mix ingredients, test baked goods for doneness, brown meat, and set the table for a family meal.
Objectives
Youth will:
- Learn about nutrition and MyPlate food groups
- Plan and practice smart food purchasing
- Practice food preparation skills
- Learn how to handle food safely
- Explore food science through experimentation
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills to others
4-H Food & Nutrition Curriculum
Available from the Extension office or online.
For further cooking curriculum, such as the 4-H Cooking series, please see the Yakima County 4-H Cooking Project.
Be a Bone Builder Digital Download
Be a Bone Builder teaches kindergarten students about calcium, the importance of including calcium-rich food in their diet using My Plate, the importance of engaging in daily physical activity, and how to safely get enough vitamin D.
Learn how to prepare healthy and hearty snacks using MyPlate as a guide, and discover how powerful healthy food can be for your body and mind. Fun and easy recipes help build your skills in the kitchen. See how well your current diet fits into the MyPlate food groups. Find out what makes grains great, and why vitamins and nutrients are so beneficial. This project shows you how to add exercise to a healthy diet and find the path to a better quality of life.
Sports Nutrition: Ready, Set, Go
Eating well and exercising daily are two keys to a healthy life. This project shows why these habits are worth forming. Learn how to balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn, why to hydrate, and how carbs, protein, and fats work to support your body and mind. Use what you learn as you compete in sports or just want to increase your fitness level.
iCook: Cooking, Eating, & Playing Together Digital Download
iCook 4-H is a program about cooking, eating and playing together for 9-10 year old youth and the adult who prepares their meals. It is designed for out-of-school settings with the goal of promoting healthful lifestyles.
Educational Fruit & Vegetable Bingo Game
This fun bingo game comes with enough pieces for 2-6 players and promises to make learning about fruits and vegetables fun! Players select picture boards and place a chip over the corresponding image as cards are read aloud by the caller. Each card has educational facts about a the healthy food groups. The first person to cover the selected pattern and yell Bingo wins!
What’s on Your Plate? Exploring Food Science is a comprehensive curriculum set with hands-on experiments—some of which learners can eat as they discover the science behind food preparation. Youth learn the building blocks of food science using chemistry, biology, and physics in a “kitchen laboratory” setting. Learn why and how things happen in breads, muffins, eggs, fruit, vegetables, cheese, candy, and beverages. Conduct food experiments, collect and analyze data, practice sensory science (tasting), and investigate career opportunities. Each unit contains three activities for beginner through advanced learners.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 1 – The Secrets of Baking
The Youth Science Journal leads learners through the experiments and provides them with use-at-home information. Unit 1 uncovers “The Secrets of Baking” with activities to understand the science of baked goods—gluten, leavening and proper mixing—and the best methods for making these foods. The Facilitator Guide (sold separately) provides tips and photos for successfully doing the activities. Short, online tutorial videos show exactly what you need to know and explain the science behind the experiments.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 2 – The Power of Protein Chemistry
The Youth Science Journal leads learners through the experiments and provides them with use-at-home information. Unit 2, “The Power of Protein Chemistry,” explores the many ways eggs are used in foods, and how milk turns into cheese. The Facilitator Guide (sold separately) provides tips and photos for successfully doing the activities. Short, online tutorial videos show exactly what you need to know and explain the science behind the experiments.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 3 – The Inner Mysteries of Fruits and Vegetables
The Youth Science Journal leads learners through the experiments and provides them with use-at-home information. Unit 3 dives into “The Inner Mysteries of Fruits and Vegetables.” Activities investigate how to prepare fruits and vegetables so they taste and look appealing in color and texture. The Facilitator Guide (sold separately) provides tips and photos for successfully doing the activities. Short, online tutorial videos show exactly what you need to know and explain the science behind the experiments.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 4 – Be a Food Scientist
The Youth Science Journal leads learners through the experiments and provides them with use-at-home information. Unit 4, “Be a Food Scientist,” lets learners look at a day in the life of a food scientist, as well as practice being one as they create a new beverage and learn a basic food science skill–crystallization. The Facilitator Guide (sold separately) provides tips and photos for successfully doing the activities. Short, online tutorial videos show exactly what you need to know and explain the science behind the experiments.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 1 – The Secrets of Baking – Facilitator Guide
This Facilitator Guide provides tips for success for teaching “The Secrets of Baking.” Step-by-step guide with instructions, pictures and explanations includes pages from the Youth Science Journals along with the answer key. Short online tutorial videos provide science explanations and demonstrations for doing the activities. Both the Facilitator Guide and Youth Science Journal are necessary for completing the activities.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 2 – The Power of Protein Chemistry – Facilitator
This Facilitator Guide provides tips for success for teaching “The Power of Protein Chemistry.” Step-by-step guide with instructions, pictures and explanations includes pages from the Youth Science Journals along with answer key. Short online tutorial videos provide science explanations and demonstrations for doing the activities. Both the Facilitator Guide and Youth Science Journal are necessary for completing the activities.
This Facilitator Guide provides tips for success for teaching “The Inner Mysteries of Fruits and Vegetables.” Step-by-step guide with instructions, pictures and explanations includes pages from the Youth Science Journals along with answer key. Short online tutorial videos provide science explanations and demonstrations for doing the activities. Both the Facilitator Guide and Youth Science Journal are necessary for completing the activities.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science: Unit 4 – Be a Food Scientist! – Facilitator Guide
This Facilitator Guide provides tips for success for teaching “Be a Food Scientist.” Step-by-step guide with instructions, pictures and explanations includes pages from the Youth Science Journals along with answer key. Short online tutorial videos provide science explanations and demonstrations for doing the activities. Both the Facilitator Guide and Youth Science Journal are necessary for completing the activities.
Washington 4-H Records, Forms, and Guides
For youth members
C1099E – 4-H Food Activity Worksheet
EM3443E – Dinner is Served: An Etiquette Guide
A publication with illustrations all about the etiquette for informal and formal dinners.
EM4733E – Food Activity Guidelines
Publication on: preparing dishes to wash, how to wash, rinse, and finish plus cleanup jobs after washing the dishes.
PNW250 – You Can Prevent Foodborne Illness
C0771E – Food & Nutrition Record
For adult helpers and club leaders
Helpful Resources
Activity Ideas
Includes the activities “My Food Journal,” “Windowsill Greenhouse Garden,” “Grow Your Own Microgreens,” “Make Your Own Cheese,” “Make Your Own Sourdough Pizza,” and “Make Your Own Butter.”
Educational Fruit & Vegetable Bingo Game
This fun bingo game comes with enough pieces for 2-6 players and promises to make learning about fruits and vegetables fun! Players select picture boards and place a chip over the corresponding image as cards are read aloud by the caller. Each card has educational facts about a the healthy food groups. The first person to cover the selected pattern and yell Bingo wins!
Makes a great complement to our Healthy Living Curriculum!
Features
- An educational and fun twist to bingo
- Learn informative facts
- Fun for all ages
Includes
- 6 player boards, 112 chipboard bingo squares and 42 picture cards with an image on the front and facts on the back
Washington Specific Resources
Yakima County 4-H Baking Project
Yakima County 4-H Cooking Project
Yakima County 4-H Food Science Project
Yakima County 4-H Food Preservation Project
Other Resources
From 4-H Programs
Healthy Living Cookbook Course
Let chef and 4-H alum Carla Hall introduce you to a wide range of recipes that are delicious, easy-to-make, and healthy meals — and come from the 4-H family.
Healthy eating habits begin with mindfulness and a thoughtful attitude toward food. That means eating healthy, but also making room for the foods you love, in the right amounts. These recipes here come from the Fresh Chefs cookbook, produced by 4-H and curated by author and celebrity chef Carla Hall. They are a reflection of that idea of balance, featuring a compilation of simple, everyday recipes as well as treats for celebratory moments, from weekend brunches to holidays.
Featuring nearly 50 recipes from 4-H’ers, supporters, and 4-H alumni, these recipes were thoughtfully selected and submitted by 4-H’ers across the country as well as 4-H alumni and supporters, to share with you. Requires a free Clover account to access lesson plans.
This series of six lessons focuses on whole-body wellness for youth in grades K-3. The lesson themes are based on the MyPlate template and include healthy living skill-building, such as mindfulness and physical activity, as well as trying new foods by making healthy snacks. Each lesson was created to be used in a 30-minute online format but can be easily adapted for use in person.
Hands On: Real World Lessons for Middle School Classrooms – Food Safety Participant Activity Book
Hands On: Real World Lessons for Middle School Classrooms – Food Safety is a comprehensive curriculum designed as a vehicle to reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness, to increase awareness around personal hygiene and to encourage safe food preparation practices. Foodborne illness can be prevented if consumers adopt proper practices for safe food handling and preparation. Food safety awareness, particularly among the young, is low and food safety education in the formative middle schools years is a proven catalyst to prevent foodborne illness.
Hands On: Real World Lessons for Middle School Classrooms – Food Safety Instructor’s Guide
Team Cuisine – University of Minnesota Extension
Team Cuisine is a series of seven lessons demonstrating how youth can create nutritious meals while building and identifying cultural awareness and differences among recipes.
This series can be used with youth in grades K-13 in a 4-H club, after-school setting, day camp, at home or family events. Use the whole series, or individual lessons can stand alone for single-session programming.
From Higher Education Institutions
From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals
Teach children the importance of nutrition and physical activity using interactive websites and games.
- Indiana 4-H Resources
Published by Purdue University Extension – 4-H Youth Development.
Foods Curriculum Level A – Fantastic Foods
Fantastic Foods provides a lively look at healthy eating and food safety begins with basic nutritional information. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate initiative is the foundation for fun experiments, delicious recipes, and fact-finding missions. Grades 3-5. This is the first book of four in the series.
Foods Curriculum Level B – Tasty Tidbits
Tasty Tidbits takes closer look at how following USDA MyPlate guidelines can lead to a healthier lifestyle, plus activities in safe food handling, preparing delicious recipes, smart shopping, and food science careers—just to name a few. Grades 5-6. This is the second book of four in the series.
Foods Curriculum Level C – You’re the Chef
You’re The Chef includes more delicious recipes and hands-on activities in food preservation, meal preparation and service, managing resources, introductory canning, careers in the food industry, and much more. Enhance the USDA’s MyPlate with SuperTracker tools that encourage healthy eating and physical activity. Grades 7-9. This is the third book of four in the series.
Foods Curriculum Level D – Foodworks
Foodworks explores how nutritional needs change at different stages of life. More hands-on activities focus on food safety, managing resources, serving delicious and balanced meals, pressure canning, plant-based diets, and careers in dietetics. Grades 10-12. This is the fourth book of four in the series.
Food Curriculum Helper’s Guide
This Project Helper Guide provides additional background that you can use when helping youth through the activities in their guides through all levels of the project.
- Ohio 4-H Resources
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Are you ready to step up and prepare meals for yourself and maybe even for your family? A great start on everyday recipes for meals and snacks, this project helps you become confident and independent in the kitchen by expanding your cooking skills.
Master the art of baking delicious yeast breads. Learn the principles of yeast bread preparation, and learn how mixing techniques and ingredients determine product character and quality.
Discover the customs and traditions that influence some favorite regional American foods and the way we like them by experimenting with keeping and serving food at its best.
Sports Nutrition: Ready, Set, Go
Eating well and exercising daily are two keys to a healthy life. This project shows why these habits are worth forming. Learn how to balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn, why to hydrate, and how carbs, protein, and fats work to support your body and mind. Use what you learn as you compete in sports or just want to increase your fitness level.
In this beginning-level project, 4-H members learn how to select and prepare healthful snacks. Designed to be completed in one year, this project includes seven activities and related recipes. Members who complete this project are encouraged to take other beginning-level food and nutrition projects.
Racing the Clock to Awesome Meals
This project focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to prepare quick, nutritious, low-cost meals. It builds on basic food preparation skills so that youth can tackle difficult recipes while being creative with ingredients. This project, which includes seven activities and related recipes, can easily be completed in one year.
All your experience comes together in this project created for those exploring cooking as a profession or simply developing their kitchen skills. Plan, prepare, and present delicious food like the culinary boss you want to be. Focus is on cooking methods, becoming familiar with tools and equipment, and experimenting with ingredients and flavors.
Party Planner: A 4-H Guide to Quantity Cooking
The secrets of cooking for a large party can be yours. These eight activities and recipes show you how to plan, budget, and safely prepare foods for large groups.
This project takes a fresh look at basic cooking and baking skills. You’ll learn about kitchen equipment and food prep, and how to read recipes and measure ingredients. Then you’ll tackle how to slice and dice food, and how to cook in a microwave oven, on the stove and in a conventional oven?ùall while keeping safety in mind. Appropriate for members of all ages with little or no cooking or baking experience.
Learn how and why quick bread recipes are so tasty as you bake your way through updated activities. See what makes a wheat kernel tick and learn how the quick bread ingredients react with one another. You’ll also explore careers in the kitchen, and learn how to alter a recipe for more healthful benefits.
Progress from grill apprentice to grill master as you focus on the safe use of a grill while preparing delicious meals. By completing six activities and a selection of recipes, you’ll learn about appropriate portion sizes, cooking meat to safe temperatures, and using gas and charcoal accessories, all while learning to prepare a complete meal. Includes related recipes. Because of the grill, recommended for youth ages 11 and above.
Create rich and delicious meals from Mexico, Africa, Japan, India, Italy, Greece, and Germany as you explore food history, customs, and nutrition to better understand our world.
Starting each day with a nutritious breakfast is important, and now it’s fun too. See how you can combine foods from different food groups for fun and delicious ways to start the day. Intended for members who have completed at least one other beginning-level food and nutrition project.
Learn how to prepare healthy and hearty snacks using MyPlate as a guide, and discover how powerful healthy food can be for your body and mind. Fun and easy recipes help build your skills in the kitchen. See how well your current diet fits into the MyPlate food groups. Find out what makes grains great, and why vitamins and nutrients are so beneficial. This project shows you how to add exercise to a healthy diet and find the path to a better quality of life.
Explore a variety of outdoor cooking skills while finding easy ways to follow the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines. Experiment with a pie iron, solar cooker, and rotisserie, and hone your skills on the grill, then throw a cookout party and use what you’ve learned!
- Kits, Projects, and Activites from National 4-H
National 4-H Food Science and Safety Curriculum Collection
National 4-H Nutrition Curriculum Collection
4-H SNAC (Student Nutrition Advisory Council) Clubs are student led 4-H clubs that promote leadership skills that focus on healthy living, nutrition, physical activity, cooking, and public speaking.
4-H SNAC Club is a way to integrate positive youth development and community engagement into existing nutrition (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-Ed) or Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) programs, while increasing equitable access and opportunity to participate in 4-H among limited resource communities.