This contest challenges individual youth to create a dish using a predetermined set of ingredients. From these ingredients, participants must identify and prepare a dish, then describe their dish, cooking techniques, food safety measures, and nutritional content in a video (5 minutes or less).


OBJECTIVES

  • Provide opportunities for participants to exhibit their knowledge and skill when preparing and presenting a dish

  • Provide an opportunity to teach youth about healthy eating

  • Provide an opportunity to teach youth about communication and public speaking


PARTICIPANT RULES

  • All participants must be at least 9 years of age by 9/30/21.

    • Junior youth (ages 9 – 13 as of Sept 30, 2021)

    • Senior youth (ages 14 – 18 as of Sept 30 2021)

  • Youth will use ingredients to cook a nutritious dish, with the supervision of an adult.

  • Participants have the option of wearing aprons or hair coverings

  • Participants will supply their own equipment and food ingredients for the contest. If help is needed with supplies or ingredients please contact your local Extension Office.

  • Participants will be provided an ingredient list containing three ingredients on March 5th. Youth will use these ingredients to cook a nutritious dish. These ingredients should be readily available at most grocery stores. These predetermined ingredients must be included in the preparation of the challenge dish, although the participant may determine the amounts of each ingredient that they would like to include in their dish.

  • On March 13th, youth participants will be e-mailed their challenge. The challenge will tell the youth what kind of dish they are to prepare (i.e. a breakfast dish, lunch, snack or dinner/main course).

  • Youth participants must use the predetermined ingredients sent to them on March 5th and two to five additional ingredients from their kitchen to prepare their challenge dish. Youth are encouraged to use their own creativity in preparing a dish rather than preparing a dish from a recipe.

  • Participants may use whatever kitchen implements they have at their disposal, but it is recommended that they not spend more than an hour preparing their dish.

  • After preparing the challenge dish each participant must make a short video presentation (5 minutes or less) explaining what their dish is, the steps taken to prepare the dish, the nutritional content of the dish, and food safety considerations for their dish. Please take your video in one cut with no editing. Note cards are allowed in presentations, but please no cue cards.

  • Youth are encouraged to consult research-based information sources in preparing their video presentations. Recommended information sources and sample presentation videos can be found here: https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/food-nutrition/ .

  • Please consult the 4-H Food Challenge Scorecard to fully understand how your video presentation will be judged.

  • Ribbons and awards will be awarded to the top three youth in each age division.