Adventures in Cooking

Advertise Your Program

In the Helpful Extras, you will find a sample poster and registration form that you can adapt for your program.

Ingredients and Equipment

You will need basic kitchen supplies such as:

• liquid and dry measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• mixing bowls
• pots and pans*
• cutting boards
• knives or kid cutters
• serving spoons
• dishcloths
• tea towels
• paper towels
• dish soap
• hairnets or hair elastics

*Some recipes require a large heavy bottomed pot to prevent burning. Each recipe outlines the equipment you will need.

For each participant, you will need:

• an apron
• a nametag
• a place setting

We suggest a ratio of five children for each leader. As such, most recipes serve six people, so if you have a larger group, adjust your recipes accordingly.

Setting Up

• Make copies of the recipes for children to take home. Consider putting them in a folder or binder for each participant.

• Plan to be in the kitchen at least 30 minutes before the children arrive. It’s important to have the room set up ahead of time so your session runs smoothly.

• Wash, rinse and sanitize all cooking surfaces, sinks, and counters before cooking. You can sanitize with:

• • Bleach and water at a concentration of 100 ppm;
  • Mix 1 tsp (5 mL) plain household bleach and 3 cups of water in a spray bottle
  • Quaternary ammonia “Quat” sanitizer and water at a concentration of 200 ppm; or
  • Iodine and water at a concentration of 25 ppm

• Use sanitizer test strips to check the concentration of the sanitizer solution. Do not mix detergent with sanitizing solutions as cleaning and sanitizing are two separate steps.

• If space allows, set up one table with all the equipment needed for the day’s lesson and another one with the ingredients.

• Ensure there is one table to work at for each group of 2–5 children.

• Lay out copies of the recipes. Consider using plastic page protectors for easy clean up and to save on paper and copying costs.

• Consider preparing a snack that kids can eat when they arrive.

• As children come into the kitchen, make sure hair is confined (e.g., long hair is tied back, hairnets are put on) before they wash their hands.

Learning by Doing

The sessions are designed for kids to work together to make each recipe. This way, everyone gets a chance to do everything from cutting to measuring to cooking.

Many children do not know the names of simple cooking tools and preparation terms. These sessions are a great way to learn cooking terms and practice using different kitchen equipment. See the list of cooking terms and their meanings as well as a visual equipment list in the Helpful Extras.

Give participants more independence as they go through the sessions so they can gradually improve their skills, while you remain present to supervise and help out where needed.

Key Messages and Tips

Each recipe section has key messages that can be used as time allows. These messages can be discussed during snack, embedded throughout recipe preparation, or talked about while the group eats together.

Each recipe includes cultural, culinary and other tips that can be used as teaching moments during recipe preparation. These are also meant to guide kids when they recreate the recipes at home.

Talking About Food In a Positive Way

Try to not to talk about foods as healthy or unhealthy, since this sends the message that some foods are good and some are bad. All foods fit in a healthy eating pattern.

Instead of focusing on the health benefits of a food, encourage kids to explore the food using their five senses, talk about how the food is grown or produced, and discuss what recipes can be made with the food.

Weight-based Teasing

The focus of Adventures in Cooking is on cooking and exploring food. However, the subject of weight and dieting often comes up when talking about food. Conversations or comments about dieting and weight should be steered back towards a focus on healthy living, for example, exploring new foods, eating meals and snacks with others, getting enough sleep, and being active every day.

It’s important to emphasize that healthy bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Do your best to create a kitchen where all bodies are accepted and teasing about appearance is not allowed.

As a leader, you should not comment or recommend any weight loss diets, herbal or vitamin supplements, or specific health products or services. If participants have any concerns about weight, please contact a dietitian at your local public health unit.

Mealtime Manners

Enjoying a meal together with friends is great fun, but it’s important to remember good manners. Here are some behaviours to encourage that will show respect for each other:

• Wait until everyone is seated before starting to eat.

• Stay seated at the table while eating.

• Use “please”, “thank you” and “excuse me”.

• Ask for food to be passed.

• If you don’t like the taste of something, don’t say “ew” or “that’s gross”. Say “that’s not my favourite” or “I’m still learning to like that” instead.

• Wait until everyone is finished eating before starting to clean up.

Food Allergies

Pay close attention to the registration form and any food allergies that are listed. We recommend that you discuss any food allergies with the child’s caregiver.

If you are unsure about certain ingredients, you can contact a dietitian at your local health unit.

Kitchen Safety

• Leaders should have current First Aid/CPR training.
• Ensure the kitchen is equipped with an appropriate fire extinguisher.
• Find out where the telephone, exits, fire extinguisher and first aid kit are in the building where you will be cooking.
• A knife safety demonstration can be found in the Helpful Extras. We recommend doing it before starting the first cooking session.

Food Safety

We strongly encourage all leaders get their Food Handler Training certificate before delivering Adventures in Cooking.

If you are receiving training from the health unit to deliver this program, the fee for Food Handler’s training may be covered. Please notify the Environmental Health Department at your local public health unit about your program. They can provide a consultation to ensure your cooking facility is equipped to run the program.

Cleaning up Body Fluids

Avoid direct contact with body fluids (e.g., urine, feces, vomit, blood), as they all have the potential

to spread germs. Germs in vomit and diarrhea may travel through the air, so it is very important to clean it up quickly.

The following is a good procedure to use:

1. Put on gloves (e.g., disposable latex). Vinyl gloves are acceptable as long as they are cleaned and sanitized after each use.

2. Remove all the visible material, including foods that may have become contaminated, working from the least to the most soiled areas, using paper towel or a single-use cloth.

• If you are cleaning up feces or vomit, be careful not to agitate the material, so that virus particles do not become airborne.

Put all material in a waterproof bag for disposal.

3. Clean the area using soap or detergent, again working from the least to the most soiled areas.

4. Sanitize the area using a 1:10 bleach solution.

• Make the solution by mixing 2 Tbsp (30 mL) bleach in 1 cup (250 mL) water or 2 cups (500 mL) bleach in a 1 gallon (4 L) water.
• Always make a fresh solution daily.
• Because of the level of contamination, this bleach solution is much stronger than the solution used for regular sanitizing. The bleach must contact the affected area for a minimum of 10 minutes.

5. Discard gloves and other cleaning articles in a plastic bag. You can dispose of liquid wastes in the toilet or down the utility sink drain.

Remember to clean and sanitize reusable gloves.

6. Wash your hands after removing the gloves.

7. Wash the non-disposable cleaning equipment (e.g., mops, buckets) thoroughly with soap and water and then rinse with a bleach solution.

Preparation

Select a session theme (for example, Beary Best Breakfasts) and pick the recipes from the recipe bank(s). Themes could be based on seasonal ingredients, celebrations and important dates, recipe types, or mealtimes.

If you wish, use the Planning Worksheet in the Helpful Extras to guide you through the process of preparing for your session. Use it as a quick reference for your shopping list, equipment needed, dietary restrictions of participants, and teaching points for the selected recipes.

Set Up

1. Before the children arrive, prepare a snack and put out cups with a pitcher of water to have available during the session.

2. Set up equipment and ingredients according to your selected recipes.

3. Print recipes to send home with children.

4. Have hair elastics or hairnets available for children to confine hair. They can also use their own ball cap or bandana.

Snack Time and Ground Rules

While the children eat their snack and get settled, set ground rules to create a positive and safe environment.

Post them in the kitchen to refer to if participants need a reminder.

Ask participants what they think should be included.

Examples may include:

• Everyone has something to learn and something to contribute

• Listen to the leaders

• Be kind to one another

• Always treat food and kitchen equipment with respect

• Wash your hands often

• No running in the kitchen

• Keep hands to yourself

• Have fun!

Recipe Review

If necessary, divide children into groups depending on the number of recipes, participants and allocated time for your session.

Let's Cook!

1. Confine their hair with an elastic or hair net. They can also use their own ball cap or bandana.

2. Wash their hands. Refer to the Activities for a handwashing game.

3. Put on an apron after hands are clean.

4. Divide into their recipe groups (if dividing them up).

5. Start cooking!

Let's Eat!

•  Ensure that children wash their hands before handling clean dishes.
• Teach the children how to set the table (see Table Setting Placemat in the Helpful Extras) and discuss the importance of table manners.
• Have everyone sit down and enjoy the meal together (including leaders!). Let the conversation flow naturally or try using a talking stone (whoever has the stone can speak, while the others listen).
• You can also use this time to discuss key messages from the day’s theme or recipes.
• Although kids are more likely to try new foods and recipes when they have been a part of preparing them, please do not put any pressure on them to taste anything. Kids gain eating competence by being able to decide how much or whether they want to eat.

Let's Clean Up!

• As the children finish eating, ask them to bring their own dishes to the dishwashing area.
  • If needed, assign tasks for clean-up. Duties include washing, rinsing and sanitizing dishes, wiping the table and counters, sweeping the floor and putting away ingredients, equipment, and clean dishes.
• Try to clean and sanitize as you go to prevent a pile of dishes at the end.
• Emphasize that cleaning up is part of cooking too and it can be just as fun! Try singing a song, telling jokes or simply get to know your participants while you work together.