By TAMARA ROBERTSON
Cottonwood District 4-H Youth Development Agent
The 4-H Food Challenge held on Sunday, February 16, gave 37 local youth a chance to showcase their culinary skills, creativity, and teamwork in a fast-paced cooking contest.
Given just an hour to prepare and present a dish using predetermined ingredients, participants demonstrated their knowledge of food preparation, nutrition, and food safety.
Teams of three to four 4-H members, from beginners to seniors, were tasked with developing a recipe, cooking, and presenting their dish to a panel of judges. The competition was divided by age categories, each with unique ingredients and constraints. Some teams went the extra mile by creating desserts and drinks for the judges.
Each team received a tray with “key” ingredients specific to their division, which had to be incorporated into the final dish. Additionally, they had access to a “pantry” stocked with common household staples like produce, dry goods, spices, oils, and sauces to enhance their creations.
Beginners worked with strawberries, bananas, cream cheese, and graham crackers, all while being restricted from using sharp utensils. They had 20 minutes of preparation time to craft their dish, which they then presented to the judges, explaining the steps, nutrition facts, serving size, food safety practices, and cost of their creation.
Juniors received mini sweet peppers, cucumber, avocado, and two types of beans to work with. With 20 minutes of preparation time, they had the chance to experiment with these ingredients, using their creativity to develop a dish that was both tasty and nutritious.
Seniors, who had access to a hot plate, were given ground beef, whole wheat pasta, eggplant, squash, and zucchini as their key ingredients. With 30 minutes to prepare their dish, the seniors took on the most challenging combination of ingredients, creating flavorful and well-balanced meals. Their presentations included not only their preparation process but also a discussion of the dish's nutritional value and cost.
Beyond cooking, the 4-H Food Challenge sharpened participants’ communication and leadership skills.
Each team had to collaborate to divide responsibilities efficiently, articulate their process clearly, and confidently present their dish to the judges. Explaining ingredient choices, nutritional benefits, and food safety measures required participants to practice public speaking, active listening, and teamwork under pressure.
By working together to answer judges’ questions, members learned how to support one another and present information in an engaging and professional manner—valuable skills that extend beyond the kitchen.
The 4-H Food Challenge is a fun and educational experience, helping youth build confidence while developing teamwork, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of healthy living, food safety, and nutrition.
Tamara Robertson is the 4-H Youth Development Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Tamara at [email protected] or call Cottonwood Extension District Ellis County Office at 785-628-9430.