INGHAM COUNTY 4-H FOODS PROJECT
Suggestions for Fair exhibits in Section 11 - Educational
Educational exhibits are not limited to the following suggestions -
members are encouraged to develop additional ideas.
COLLECTION OF FAMILY RECIPES - show an organized collection of ten or more recipes. Indicate how they include foods from the Food Pyramid.
SMART SHOPPING TIP - show and explain a tip for wise food shopping.
PHYSICAL FITNESS - explain (1) how an activity or exercise had made you more fit or (2) a nutritious tip for people involved in sports.
GOOD NUTRITION - show the groups of foods (Food Pyramid) necessary for
good health. Give examples.
CHOOSING SNACKS - show a nutritious snack and compare its cost and nutritional value to a poor snack choice.
MICROWAVE COOKING - show how microwave cooking is different.
SUBSTITUTIONS IN BAKED PRODUCTS - compare the quality of a baked product made with and without substitutions for one or more ingredients.
EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF BAKED PRODUCTS - show a baked product. Evaluate the quality of the product and explain your evaluation.
FUNCTION OF INGREDIENTS - feature a baked product and describe the importance of some of the steps in the procedure.
FUNCTION OF STEPS IN BAKING - feature a baked product and describe the importance of some of the steps in the procedure.
CONVENTIONAL VS. OTHER METHODS - compare quality and time to prepare a product in a conventional oven and by another method (microwave, camp cooking, etc.)
ALTERING A BAKED PRODUCT - compare quality of a baked product with a without changes in procedure such as amount of mixing, amount of kneading, etc.
FUNCTIONS OF A NUTRIENT - show the importance of one nutrient and analyze the major sources of that nutrient in an individual
=s diet.COMPARE NUTRIENT NEEDS - explain how and why the food need of two individuals may be different.
ANALYZE an individual
=s meals for a day according to dietary guidelines and explain how you would improve or change that menu of food intake.STUDY FOOD INTAKE AND EXERCISE for an individual and show a plan for how she could change diet and exercise for better health.
ACTIVITY LEVEL AND FOOD - compare and explain the changes in calorie or nutrient needs for an individual during different levels of activity.
SNACK FOR LESS THAN $.10 PER SERVING - show a nutritious snack for less than $.10 per serving. Show cost of ingredients.
NUTRITIOUS BROWN BAG LUNCH - plan a nutritious lunch for less than $1.00.
LABEL AND COST INFORMATION - compare nutrition information on labels and cost per serving for two similar food items.
CONVENIENCE FOOD VS. HOMEMADE COUNTERPART - compare cost and quality of a convenience food and its homemade counterpart. Include recipe for homemade items.
RESTAURANT MEAL - compare cost of a meal purchased in a restaurant with a similar home-prepared meal.
REGIONAL, FOREIGN OR CULTURAL - feature a product with a description of its origin and recipe.
FAMILY CELEBRATION OR PARTY - describe and evaluate a family celebration or party you planned and conducted.
FAST FOOD MEAL - show nutritious menus for a day which include one fast food
restaurant meal.
PLACE SETTING FOR SPECIAL OCCASION - show an attractive, harmonious place setting for a special occasion meal (family celebration, picnic, etc.) with and explanation for the choices of food and appointments. Include menu card, explanation for your choices and a sketch or photo showing how the place setting should be laid out.
SOME IDEAS TO EXPLORE
IN 4-H FOODS AND NUTRITION GROUPS
(Note that many of these activities will easily translate into Fair exhibits in the Educational section!)
FOOD PYRAMID
- prepare a bread, salad, main dish and dessert with something from each food group
- make submarine sandwiches with all food groups
- plan a week
=s worth of menus for your family with the Food Pyramid for everyone. Make a shopping list too.- plan and prepare (and eat!) a picnic with all food groups
- determine how families in other countries get their Food Pyramid foods
- prepare a foreign dinner with the Food Pyramid groups for your club
- make a breakfast with the Food Pyramid food groups
MILK
- make ice cream, yogurt or cottage cheese and compare to store bought
- have a cheese tasting party
- have a milk tasting activity with skim, 2%, dry, whole, evaporated
- make a variety of homemade cream soups
- make yogurt salad dressings
- learn how other cultures use cheese and milk
- tour a dairy or dairy farm or the dairy plant at MSU
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
- have a fruit or vegetable tasting party, raw and cooked
- make a vegetable pizza
- pickle some vegetables or fruits
- grow a
Asalad garden@ with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, radishes, etc.- demonstrate and explain unit pricing and nutrition labeling
MEAL PLANNING
- take charge of the menu planning for your family for at least a month
- visit a hospital or nursing home to learn how meals are planned
- work with school lunch people and plan some possible new menus
- look at newspaper food ads for several weeks. What food groups are on special?
FOREIGN FOODS
- make Christmas cookies or Christmas breads from different countries
- prepare breakfasts from different countries. Serve them to your family or club.
- select a country you would like to visit. Plan and prepare three meals from that country.
- learn to make soups from other countries
- tour a restaurant (Oriental, Mexican, Italian, Greek...)
- visit an ethnic grocery store. Look for the Food Pyramid food groups.
- how do other countries use fish, chicken or beef?
FOOD STORAGE AND SAFETY
- develop an
Aemergency box@ of foods that can be kept and prepared without electricity or gas- learn to wrap foods properly for freezing and refrigeration
- learn ways to carry food safely for picnics and cookouts
- demonstrate and explain how to carry food when backpacking
- know safe and proper ways to store food when camping
CREATIVE COOKING
- use refrigerator cookie dough for pie crust
- make bread sticks, donuts, pizzas, etc., out of refrigerator biscuits
- use dry soup mixes in salad dressing, dip, casseroles, quick breads
- start with instant pudding and use it as an ingredient in another dessert
- make your own
Aconvenience foods@, such as pie crust mix, biscuit mix, pudding mix- take a familiar recipe and add something different
- make a dessert pizza or dessert tacos
ENERGY
- count the small electrical appliances in your kitchen. How many are used once a day, once a week, once a month, less often?
- what electrical appliances do you use that your mother did not have at your age? Your grandmother?
- learn to make one-dish meals, top-of-stove meals
- learn to determine the wattage of your kitchen equipment
- what does electricity cost in your area? Other areas? Other countries?
- compare the cost and acceptability of Swiss steak done in an electric fry pan, oven, top-of-stove, crockpot, microwave
- if you could keep only five small appliances, how would you decide what to keep?
- tour a power plant