So this week, I worked in Penn State’s foods lab for “Cook Like a Chef” camp, in which kids aged 11-13 (mostly scholarship kids– their household income needs to be below a certain amount) learn the basics of cooking from the basics of all the food groups– grains, fruits and veggies, fat, protein, and dairy.
PSU nutrition students (such as yours truly) got to begin the lessons with brief power point presentations on the food group(s) of the day. Following this, the kids usually did some sort of taste testing (of different breads, oils, unusual vegetables, milk & milk alternatives, etc). Most of the lesson was the actual cooking portion.
At the end of each day of camp, all of the food was placed in the front of the room, buffet-style, and the kids got to eat all of the creations that they made. There was always leftovers to take home.
The purpose of the camp is to teach younger individuals (who are starting to make their own decisions regarding food) how to cook food and have fun doing it so that they may use the skills learned to be better informed consumers, and go home and have their parents follow suit. The kids always leave fed and eager to show their parents the creations they made.
Today was the final day of camp and we had a reception to which all the kids’ families were invited. I was eager to meet the one boy’s mom because he was a 12-year-old boy who was absolutely considerate and overall just a total sweetheart, something you don’t come around that often. I commended his mom for raising such a great kid.
At the end of the reception, each of the kids got their own individual awards. Even the ones who had the mentality that they were “too cool” for the camp had smiles on their faces when they got their awards. Of course, being an oversensitive female, this made me want to cry.
Some of these kids come from homes or environments in which they are told or treated like they won’t amount to anything, or they are ignored or get very little praise or recognition. These are the kids who grow up feeling like they can’t do anything great, but in an environment such as this cooking camp, they’re part of a group, they accomplish things, and are rewarded in the end.
When I was younger and still deciding on what I wanted to do with my life career-wise, I knew one thing: I wanted to help people. Whether its being a teacher, a doctor, or a counselor, I just wanted to help. After being fascinated with weight-loss and overcoming an eating disorder, I realized that I could study nutrition and help people, whether its helping people reach their weight loss goals, counseling eating disorder patients on how to nourish their bodies again, or teaching kids how to cook and feel good about themselves. I absolutely love every part of it.
Have a lovely day everyone! Wishing you health & happiness!
Love,
Marilee
P.S. I took this photo this week during camp, this quotation was written on the wall of the HUB parking deck at Penn State
Marilee Fritsch 