Food and Nutrition
Are You Into It?
In this project you can do fun experiments, prepare recipes, and go on fact-finding missions. You’ll have fun learning about food ingredients, food characteristics, nutrition and food safety.
- Use My Plate to make healthy food choices
- Understand how nutrition affects health, fitness, and your appearance
- Learn to prepare and store foods safely
- Learn about the science of nutrition
- Learn skills in planning, purchasing, preparing and serving tasty and nutritious meals
Here’s what you can do all year!
Starting Out Basic / Level 1
- Learn how to read a recipe
- Learn how to use measuring equipment
- Make healthy snacks
- Do fun food experiments
- Compare costs of purchased and homemade foods
- Learn how food spoils
- Learn how to keep your kitchen germ free
- Learn to safely use the microwave
Learning More Intermediate / Level 2
- Prepare a grocery list and go grocery shopping
- Compare food costs
- Learn safety know-how in the kitchen
- Explore low fat alternatives
- Make healthy fast food choices at home, at school and eating out
- Prepare easy meals
Expanding Horizons Advanced / Level 3
- Plan and prepare a meal
- Gain skill in evaluating nutrition information
- Understand the connection between eating and emotions
- Learn about food additives
- Learn how to preserve and dry foods
- Prepare foods in healthy ways
- Learn to purchase foods on a limited budget
- Explore careers in the food industry
Take It Further
Food & Nutrition Hot Sheet (color or B/W pdf)
Food & Nutrition Tip Sheet (color or B/W pdf)
Poster Exhibits Tip Sheet (color or B/W pdf)
Exhibitor Fair Information Form (Word or editable PDF)
Exhibit Evaluation Form (pdf)
Inappropriate Food Exhibits for Iowa 4-H Fairs (pdf)
Cook This! entries due June1!!! Sign up your team now.
Here are other opportunities to explore Food and Nutrition:
- Create your own food business
- Organize a food drive
- Create a scrapbook of your favorite recipes
- Sign up for 4-H Cook This! at the Iowa State Fair
- Keep a journal of foods eaten and calories consumed
- Plan menus for a week and go grocery shopping
- Create an exhibit and take it to the fair!. It might even get selected to go to the Iowa State Fair !
- Contact your County Extension office for other local workshops, activities, and events
- Meet new friends in food and nutrition - Check out camps at the Iowa 4-H Center
- Attend Iowa 4-H Youth Conference and participate in workshops, and a community service project,.
- Interested in a college education in the area of food and nutrition or culinary science? Schedule a visit with Iowa State University's College of Human Sciences or Ag & Life Sciences.
Step It Up
Communication
- Teach friends how to make healthy snacks
- Tell your family about the importance of eating a variety of foods from all the food groups
- Design a poster about kitchen safety
Citizenship
- Complete a Service-Learning project
- Bake with the elderly at a care center
- Volunteer at a food pantry
- Offer locally grown food sampling at grocery store
Leadership
- Take responsibility for planning and preparing one family meal each week
- Plan and help prepare food for a special family event
- Create a club fundraiser around food such as a meal or bake sale
Exhibit Ideas
- Learn to read nutrition labels on food.
- Experiment with altering recipes and share results.
- Compare cost of purchased vs. home made foods.
- Plan a special meal for your family.
- Make a recipe calendar for a gift - include a recipe for each month.
- Do a blind taste test of two similar products like Coke and Pepsi, 2% milk and skim milk, etc.
- Assemble a set of favorite recipes.
- Research sports drinks vs. water - share results via poste.
- Learn to make Homemade Peanut Butter.
