Texas youth lead the way to healthier eating
Texas 4-H Food Show winners share recipes with Dinner Tonight program in support of National Nutrition Month
When it comes to eating healthier this National Nutrition Month, all of Texas could learn a thing or two from some very talented youth.
The Dinner Tonight program of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has joined with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Texas 4-H program to celebrate National Nutrition Month by sharing Texas 4-H Food Show winning recipes.
“During the month of March, which is the month the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has selected as National Nutrition Month, we are inviting everyone to focus on making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits,” said Odessa Keenan, AgriLife Extension assistant for the agency’s Healthy Texas program.
Keenan said Dinner Tonight partnered with Texas 4-H, which is the youth development component of AgriLife Extension, to feature youth representing the next generation to practice healthy eating habits and making informed food choices. She said a major goal of the collaboration will be to advance nutrition awareness in young audiences.
The Texas 4-H program is the largest 4-H program in the nation with more than 65,000 youth members in community clubs statewide. The Texas 4-H Food Show provides an opportunity for contestants to highlight their culinary skills while improving their presentation and interview skills.
“The Texas 4-H Food Show is a contest in which hundreds of youth from across the state compete each year, but only four winners are named at the 4-H Roundup each summer,” explained Julie Gardner, AgriLife Extension program specialist, 4-H and youth development, College Station. “During March, Dinner Tonight will feature four of the Texas 4-H Roundup Food Show champions as they share healthy recipes, helpful tips and food safety information.”
Two Texas 4-H Food Show winners and their winning recipes now featured on the Dinner Tonight website are Logan Baker with his Strawberry Pecan Salad and Allie Treadwell with her Rollos del Texas.
Two additional winners and their recipes will appear on the Dinner Tonight website later in March.
Garner said more than 120,000 youth participate in the 4-H Food and Nutrition Project nationally, learning about preparing nutritious meals and snacks and adopting eating behaviors to reduce their risk for chronic disease.
“This contest challenges members to create recipes using healthy ingredients along with learning detailed information on their nutritional value,” she said. “It also provides an opportunity for participants to learn about MyPlate and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines and how to apply those to their to their daily lives.”
