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—all while keeping safety in mind.

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.

This project includes seven activities and related recipes for healthful snacks. Members who complete this project are encouraged to take other beginning level food and nutrition projects.

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 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. Includes gluten-free recipes.

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 simply to increase your fitness level.

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. Because of the grill, recommended for youth ages 11 and above.

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.

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 focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to prepare quick, nutritious, low-cost meals. It builds on basic food preparation skills so you can tackle difficult recipes while being creative with ingredients. Seven activities and recipes are included.

Look at fast food in a whole new light! This project book shows you how to make fast food menus part of a healthy lifestyle. From understanding true food portions and healthful choices to “designing” your meals with your new nutrition knowledge, you will learn skills to last a lifetime!

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. Use the same book 1-2 years.

Prepare creative, nutritious meals using the oven, range top, microwave, slow cooker, and stir-fried foods. Vegetarian foods and selecting foods at the deli are included in this project.

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.

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!

Explore a variety of new experiences to gain a basic understanding of culinary arts. Learn techniques used by cooks and chefs, the use of basic equipment, and the art of meal presentation. Prepare meats, stocks and sauces, pies and pastries, and garnishes! Career exploration, advanced recipes, and activities are included. Youth taking this project should have completed projects at the beginning and intermediate levels.