Can you pass this test?

Every quarter I teach a cooking class at the JCC in York, PA for the Summer Camp Kids or the Kids After School Program. The kids are ages 6-12 and they learn fun, fast, healthy eating and cooking skills. Have you ever walked around in a kitchen with 16 kids all carrying knives? I have, actually the knives are really kid-cutter-tools, still scary! The program has a grant, so the kids are tested prior to the class and after the class, then another application is sent in for the next grant. This test is the pre-test and the post-test. The goal of course is for the scores to improve during the class. How is your healthy food knowledge? Go ahead and find out, then go to the link at the bottom for the answers.

Can you do as well as the kids?

1. Which of the following are whole grains? organic flour, whole wheat flour, brown rice, rye flour, oatmeal
2. What does organic mean? no chemicals or pesticides
3. My breakfast cereal is probably whole grain: True or False
4. Dessert is good for you: Always, sometimes, never
5. Fat is good for me: True or False
6. Which Fat is better for you? olive oil, or butter
7. Should I eat the skin of organic apples? yes
8. Which of the following are processed foods? Sponge Bob Macaroni and Cheese, Apples, Raisins, White Flour, Mom’s homemade macaroni and cheese.
9. Which is better for you: Captain Crunch cereal or Kashi Crunch cereal?
10. I think it would be better for me to eat white bread instead of whole wheat: True or False

Answers To The Kid’s Test
The recipes that we made during the class are fun, fast healthy desserts. Yes, desserts can be healthy too. Here are the recipes.

Cooking With Kids Recipes

You can make the rice pudding a little bit healthier by adding a high quality, no sugar or chemical protein powder before baking it. I would recommend these recipes for you if you are on a weight loss program and occasionally want to create a dessert for the whole family. You can enjoy these recipes too. They are not low calorie, just good-for-you whole foods. When you eat only real foods, you will not set up a craving-compulsive eating cycle like you would if it was a store-bought convenient, chemically laden dessert.

At the JCC I teach 3 groups of 10-16 kids three days in a row. They all learn the same recipes and the same fun, fast, healthy lessons. On the last day, the parents come in for a presentation to learn the same things that their kids learned. I have found that frequently the children do better than the parents on the test! Kids who cook before they are 12 eat better their entire lives. Give your children the gift of the passion of cooking. It is an investment in their future that they deserve!

I really enjoy hearing the feedback from the kids each class. Parents tell me that the children actually ask for organic fruit or homemade macaroni and cheese! I know that it is making a difference for the kids. I would love to come to your school, church, camp or child care program to make a impact on the future of your kids.

To learn more about other kids speaking topics, go to www.DebBixler.com

Happy Cooking!