Influence of a School-Based Cooking Course on Students' Food Preferences, Cooking Skills, and Confidence.
A quasi-experimental study was conducted to evaluate the influence of Project CHEF, a hands-on cooking and tasting program offered in Vancouver public schools, on students' food preferences, cooking skills, and confidence. Grade 4 and 5 students in an intervention group (n = 68) and a comparison group (n = 32) completed a survey at baseline and 2 to 3 weeks later. Students who participated in Project CHEF reported an increased familiarity and preference for the foods introduced through the program. This was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) for broccoli, swiss chard, carrots, and quinoa. A higher percentage of students exposed to Project CHEF reported a statistically significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in: cutting vegetables and fruit (97% vs 81%), measuring ingredients (67% vs 44%), using a knife (94% vs 82%), and making a balanced meal on their own (69% vs 34%). They also reported a statistically significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in confidence making the recipes introduced in the program: fruit salad (85% vs 81%), minestrone soup (25% vs 10%), and vegetable tofu stir fry (39% vs 26%). Involving students in hands-on cooking and tasting programs can increase their preferences for unpopular or unfamiliar foods and provide them with the skills and cooking confidence they need to prepare balanced meals.
a School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA.
Rola
R
Zahr
a School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA.
Lindiwe
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Sibeko
D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003296:Cooking; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste; D014675:Vegetables