Century, Cairo Junior Chefs learn about healthy eating

Fruit salsa, pudding shake and tic-tac-taco mix were just a few of the tasty recipes prepared by area young people this past semester during University of Illinois Extension’s Illinois Junior Chefs program at  the Century and Cairo school districts. 

Illinois Junior Chefs is a cooking school developed by Illinois Nutrition Education Programs team members and taught by Illinois 4-H teen teachers through five hands-on lessons. 

Lessons focus on healthy food choices and important cooking skills that will stick with them for years to come. 

“Youth are becoming more and more independent and families are increasingly busy, so the Illinois Junior Chef program is a great way for the youth to engage with 4-H Teen Teacher mentors and build some skills they can use at home for themselves and their whole family,” 4-H youth development educator Kristi Stout said.

Illinois Junior Chefs is a hands-on, interactive program that students love, Stout added. 

Students received incentive items and a cookbook with all of the recipes and important educational handouts to take home and share with their families. 

“My favorite part of the program is how excited, Caden was to come home each day and share with me about his day. The best part was that he had already tried the recipe at his grandmothers after school,” parent Hillary Crain shared.

University of Illinois Extension’s Illinois Nutrition Education Programs provides nutrition education and healthy living classes to Illinois individuals and families. 

Illinois Junior Chefs is sponsored in part by the Walmart Foundation’s Youth Voice: Youth Choice grant. 

For more information about the program, contact a University of Illinois Extension office in Anna  at 833-6363, Metropolis at 524-2270, Mounds at 745-5200 or Vienna at 658-5321.