Kids in The Kitchen Offers Healthy Recipes and Family Fun

Zamiya Marrow, 10, prepares a Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo dish in the kitchen at the Vance County Extension office in Henderson. Zamiya’s dream is to one day become a master chef.

10-year-old Zamiya Marrow dreams of becoming a master chef, and a summer program through Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T has played an important role in her culinary education.

“I really like to cook and try new foods and spices,” said the fifth grader who lives in Henderson with her mother, LaQuinta Daniels, father, and two brothers. “In my last class, I tried an Indian dish.”

Zamiya participates in Kids in the Kitchen, a program offered through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the 4-H program in Vance County. Virtual and in-person cooking classes have been offered in the county the past three summers and help keep kids engaged in hands-on educational activities through cooking demonstrations and an introduction to the cultures of various international cuisines. The program targets children in grades 3 – 8 and encourages families to cook and eat healthy meals together at home. The summer 2022 program focused on international cuisine and the 2021 program taught kids and their families the basics of Italian cooking.

Participants receive all the ingredients for a healthy recipe once a week and are encouraged to cook together with family members during monthly sessions offered virtually and in person.

“It’s something we get to do together and something to look forward to,” said Daniels. “It motivates a healthy lifestyle. Now, my kids know they have healthy options. They can make things that taste good but are better for them.”

Parker Greene, 13, another Henderson resident, said he already enjoyed cooking and enrolled in the 2021 camp because he thought it would be fun to learn some new recipes and improve his culinary skills. He enjoyed the experience so much that he also took part in the 2022 class.

“I wasn’t very good with knife skills or cooking vegetables without burning them,” said Parker. “Now, I cook almost every day and I’m using the knowledge I learned to get better at it.”

Dr. Wykia Macon, left, 4-H Youth Development agent, and Nitasha Kearney, right, EFNEP educator, pose with Zamiya Marrow in the kitchen at the Vance County Extension office in Henderson.

“Teaching youth to prepare healthy meals will help them become healthier and decrease their chances of developing chronic diseases as they grow into adulthood,” said Kearney. “We also encourage family members to cook along with their children, so it becomes a great family activity.”

The 2022 classes offered EFNEP recipes from Mexico, Australia, Kenya, Japan, Thailand, and Ethiopia as well as the Camp, Cook, Play! Curriculum, which teaches nutrition fundamentals such as increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables and water. The children received recipes and a meal kit each week so they could cook along with Kearney and her 4-H peers. While most classes were virtual in 2020 and 2021, the group met in-person in 2022 at the Aycock Recreation Complex in Henderson for seven sessions.

In addition to international recipes, participants learned about the importance of hand washing and engaged in activities popular in cultures around the world, including building a djembe, learning salsa dancing, practicing the fundamentals of eating with chop sticks, and sculpting traditional Tanzanian art. Some of their culinary creations included chicken parmesan, vegan ratatouille, and skinny pizza made with tortillas as the crust.  Zamiya said she enjoyed trying Indian food and making chicken fajitas. She has also been exposed to spices used around the world, including turmeric, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and her personal favorite, Old Bay Seasoning.

“It helped me with knife skills and measurements,” she said. “And I learned how to safely use the stove.” Her stove safety tips include always paying attention when burners are lit, never leaving a plastic spatula in a pan (it can melt), and never leaving towels, rags or plastic touching a hot stove.

“It makes her feel accomplished and it makes me feel confident,” said Daniels. “Some of the kids her age can hardly use a microwave. This is setting the stage for having a healthy lifestyle when she is an adult.”

Nikeena Boyd-Kearsey, a resident of rural Warren County who participated in the 2021 program with her daughter, Camryn, said she was grateful to have access to the camp in a rural area that has been hit hard by COVID-19 and lacks summer activities and educational opportunities for youth.

“It brought some excitement to our summer,” she said. “It was a time for us to come together and learn what Camryn could do. She was used to watching her older siblings doing things and this was a chance for her to share her skills. We tasted her ratatouille, and it was good!”

Parents have been overwhelmingly positive about the program because of the money they can save and the ability to use what they learn to improve their families’ health. For the youth, the main attraction is the fun of cooking and creating.

“Everyone should do this because it’s really fun,” said Zamiya. “It’s not like you’re cooking and nobody pays attention to you. They ask questions and put you in the spotlight. It’s fun and you get to eat different things that are healthy.