Life has many challenges, but eating shouldn’t be one of them. Some students said there was a time when they didn’t know what their next meal would be, or if they would even get one. Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation’s Youth Action Committee, our students had a chance to learn valuable cooking skills to prepare for the future.
Over the course of two weeks, students participated in cooking classes with former Highfields’ employee and cooking instructor, Belle Black.
After talking about their favorite cooking shows, from Hell’s Kitchen and Rachel Ray to Bobby Flay, they learned how to “be wise” in their choices. The boys learned how to shop for groceries, make simple recipes and save money while creating healthy delicious meals.
Students were surprised to learn about the nutrition of each piece of food. Most of the time, they focus on what tastes good rather than what will nourish their body the best, something we all can relate to. Opening their eyes to the importance of protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, fibers and much more, gave them an idea of how to plan meals without sacrificing taste.
“I learned how to make simple meals that made a lot of food for the week,” said Tyler.
During class, they had guided workshops for making mini omelets, chicken pot pie and no-bake cookies!
They were shown the value of cooking in bulk in order to save money and remain well-fed for the rest of the week.
“I learned that there are so many different ingredients that can be used to create more than one meal,” said Timothy. “And to not go to the store hungry!”
The students were encouraged to think outside-the-box. They learned simple cooking tips and strategies like, there is more than one way to cook an egg and make sure to clean as you go. This was new information for some of them! The classes helped provide valuable skills for the students to use and practice in their daily lives.