What do you think when you hear the word bear claw?  Yesterday, youth learned it’s not just an animal’s hand nor a sweet treat.  It’s actually a way to hold your onion safely while you cut.

We were so excited to finally kick off our Teen Cuisine Coder project with the Beloit Learning Academy students within the School District of Beloit.

“I feel like I could work at a 5 star restaurant.”  Not bad after just one session that included an introduction to MyPlate and kitchen safety while preparing Salsa Fresca.

Several youth shared questions.

• “What are other ways to cook veggies?”
• “How can you cook food that isn’t stingy on the ingredients?”
• “How can you cook food and not have it cost too much?”

We know we’ll find the answers to these questions and many more.

On their way out the door, youth happily grabbed their own bags of ingredients to take with them.  Several were excited to prepare and share the dish immediately.

As recipients of an SSM Health mini grant in 2022, youth will

• participate in the six-week Teen Cuisine series and create messaging and re Teen Cuisine is designed to teach youth in grades 6-12 important life skills to promote optimal health. The curriculum addresses key concepts about nutrition, food preparation and cooking, food safety, and physical activity using approaches and strategies that enhance learning and behavior change among teens.
• utilize the nutrition content and cooking skills acquired to create a nutrition resource to increase understanding and accessibility to the information for other youth.