By Carrie Ann Olson Cooking is healthy, so why are Americans cooking less than they used to ? Maybe it’s because they are afraid to try. For me, mixing things together to come up with something new is exciting and rewarding. But my daughter recently told me that her junior high family consumer science classmates are afraid to try cooking because it might not turn out perfect. This is a common fear for adolescents . But a youth development program should help them to develop good decision making skills. My favorite cooking activities for youth incorporate a cook-off . In team cook-offs, youth have to work together to make decisions. There’s no right or wrong answer; it’s a creative, learn-by-doing process that sometimes turns out better than other times. Here are some things to try Food Insight has released a series of “Build Your Own” infographic recipes . Each one offers a simple recipe, with the option for variation. The series has six infographics ranging from oatmeal
Our youth development educators bridge research and practice. In this blog, they offer their views on what's happening in the field of youth development, with an eye to evidence-based research written by themselves and others in our field. We welcome your comments.