If you want to be a star in the kitchen, try the food & nutrition project! You’ll learn kitchen and cooking safety, how to prepare nutritious meals and snacks, and meal ideas to reduce your risk of disease. Learning experiences focus on nutrition, food purchasing, food preparation, food safety, and related careers.
Resources
- Project Information Sheet
- Altering Recipes for Good Health
- FightBac – Fight Foodborne Bacteria Brochure
- Know Your Nutrients
- Nutrition Guide for Athletes
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
- Quick Ingredient Substitutions
- Safe Home Food Storage
- Agent Resource: Food and Nutrition Project Evaluation Instructions | Survey
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Key Points for Healthy Living
- Functions of Ingredients and Principles of Food Science
- Foodborne Illness Causing Organisms in the US
Explore Guides
- Explore Guide: Food & Nutrition – Cooking in the Kitchen | Participant Survey
- Explore Guide: Food & Nutrition – Dollars and Sense | Participant Survey
- Explore Guide: Food & Nutrition – Food Challenge | Participant Survey
- Explore Guide: Food & Nutrition – Kitchen Safety | Participant Survey
- Explore Guide: Food & Nutrition – Keeping Food Safe | Participant Survey
- Explore Guide: Consumer Education
Resource Websites
- 9 Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping
- 20 Money Saving Grocery Shopping Tips
- Cooking up Healthy Choices
- Dinner Tonight: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Easy, Tasty, Healthy: Ingredient Substitutions
- Food Safety | Food Safety Fact Sheet
- MyPlate | MyPlate Mini Poster
- National 4-H Curriculum
- National Food Challenge
- Stretch Your Food Dollars At the Grocery Store
Videos Resource Links
Events and Activities
Agriculture Product ID
This contest provides youth the ability to further their knowledge and skills when evaluating agricultural products grown in Texas. For the Agriculture Product Identification contest, 20 Texas agricultural products are selected and exhibited at separate stations. Contestants select the correct identification of each product from four possible answers. Following the product identification, each station has one multiple-choice question pertaining to the product on display. Questions can be general to the industry that produced the product, (i.e. Texas’ national ranking, economic impact to Texas, general nutrition content, region of production) and specific to the individual product that is on display (i.e. cooking method, use, growing season, specific nutrition of the cut or variety).
- Agriculture Product ID Guide
- Agriculture Product ID Explore Guide
- Agriculture Product ID Training Video
- Agricultural Product ID PowerPoint
- Mini Mock Contest (5 stations)
Family Community Health FCH Quiz Bowl
A “Quiz Bowl” is a quiz game that tests teams of 4 on their knowledge of basic nutrition, consumer information, food and kitchen safety, food preparation skills and storage, health and fashion and interior design skills. Up against the clock, the 4-H’ers buzz in to answer a question and earn points for correct answers. Teams advance in a tournament-system bracket to win the competition.
Food Challenge
At the Food Challenge, teams of 3-4 students receive a list of ingredients and have 40 minutes to create a dish. The teams then present their dish to judges are scored on preparation, serving size, food safety concerns, nutritional value and cost. Students qualify at the country and district level to compete at the state contest. Review all the rules in the Food Challenge Manual.
- 2026-2027 Food Challenge Rules and Guidelines
- 2026-2027 Food Challenge Presentation Scorecard
- 2026-2027 Food Challenge Preparation Scorecard
Resources
- Functions of Ingredients and Principles of Food Science Fact Sheet
- Know Your Nutrients Guide
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- Fight BAC! Food Safety Brochure
- Kitchen and Food Safety Fact Sheet
Food Show
At the Food Show you choose a recipe from the contest categories and then prepare and present it to a panel of judges. During your interview with the judges, you will show how you prepared it, the nutrients and ingredients, personal dietary needs, healthy substitutions, and a cost analysis.
- 2026-27 Preparation Scorecard
- 2026-2027 Presentation Scorecard
- 2026-2027 Guidelines
- Recipe Submission Form
Healthy Lifestyles Invitational
The invitational is held at 4-H Roundup; teams do not have to qualify to enter. First, you are given a story (in each of 8 classes) related to a healthy lifestyles topic and four possible outcomes or choices. You must rank the four choices and are scored on your answer. Then, in the presentation portion, teams must work together to analyze a problem, develop a solution and make a presentation to the judges. Click here to view the guidelines and information.
Project Gallery
