Cook It Up

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Getting Started

Learning to prepare food helps students build their self-esteem, confidence and sense of achievement, while developing valuable life skills. These are all benefits which will contribute to positive mental health. Earn this badge by giving students (and others) the chance to learn and practice the skills involved in preparing tasty, nutritious foods.

Steps To Earn This Badge

Step 1 - Ask the Students

Ask students if they help in the kitchen at home and what tasks they help with. Ask them if they would like to learn and practice food preparation skills at school.

Step 2 - Start a Conversation

Find out if parents, teachers and students would like to learn more about cooking and opportunities to practice their food preparation skills. When planning activities find out what skills your participants already have so you can plan accordingly. Does the group need help with basic skills such as holding a knife properly or washing vegetables and fruits? Or is the group ready to follow a recipe from start to finish, with minimal assistance? Check out the Helpful Tools and Activities for ideas!

Step 3 - Do a Nutrition Checkup

Aim to use a variety of wholesome ingredients in your activities and choose local vegetables and fruit when possible. Use the Tips for Preparing Food at School and Kitchen Safety Tips (see Learn More).

Step 4 - Make it Fun

You don’t have to be a professional chef to teach students to prepare food. Just remember that they may have little kitchen experience, so explain things well and offer lots of encouragement. Choose at least one of the following activities/suggestions or come up with your own fun food preparation idea!

Badge Inspiration

Innovative and inspirational ideas submitted from schools across the province!
Run an after-school cooking program.
Celebrate a particular fruit or vegetable and prepare a variety of recipes using this fruit or vegetable
Hold a recipe contest and have students create (or modify) their own recipes using a particular food (e.g. black beans) or theme (e.g. harvest time)
Invite parents to share in a great meal prepared by their kids
Ask students to help prepare and serve refreshments at a parent-teacher night or another school event
Invite a local chef to provide cooking demonstrations

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We sold greeting cards, calendars, cheese, and scented candles instead of chocolate bars. Our school raised more money that year than selling chocolate bars in the past!

—Gravenhust Public School

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John McCrae School in Markham has become a food-free celebration zone this year! Read how they earned the Reason to Celebrate badge and successfully celebrate special occasions in a healthy way!

Cooking it up in Thornhill

Way to go Louis Honore Frechette Public School in Thornhill for earning the Cook It Up badge for your Junior Chef Ambassador program! Student leaders learn to cook healthy meals and train younger students…awesome!