Patti Chapman, Nutrition Educator
Beaufort County Nutrition Educator Patti Chapman recently taught the “Teen Cuisine” program to six enthusiastic groups of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. These students had so much fun during the cooking portion of the lessons. So often, they would think the recipe didn’t sound good because it was healthy. However, once they made it and tasted it, they loved it! They were eager to take the recipes and knowledge home to share with their families. It was so encouraging to see the number of students who committed to not only making healthier food choices but also being more physically active (admitting that they often spend too much time on their phones / social media). It was a rewarding experience to bring the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to these middle school classes (107 students total). They were genuinely excited to learn and put the information into practice. Seeing the students’ confidence in cooking skills grow during the program was excellent. Instead of these teens resorting to making a box of mac-n-cheese, they are now fully capable of creating more healthy snacks/meals on their own.
Students on the left use the knife skills they were taught to safely chop tomatoes and cilantro for their “Fresh Salsa” recipe. Students on the right cook the “French Toast” recipe using whole wheat bread after learning the importance of whole grains (versus refined grains).
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
