C.H.E.F. Camp
Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods
C.H.E.F. Camp 2023
Avoyelles, East & West Carroll, Madison, Morehouse and Union
C.H.E.F. Camp “Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods” (C.H.E.F.) provides youth cooking camps in several parishes throughout the state. The C.H.E.F. camps are designed to teach youth basic cooking principles and nutrition education based on the USDA’s, “MyPlate” food guidance system and Dietary Guidelines. Each day, participants will work together to create an entire meal while learning healthy eating and physical activity principles, food preparation, kitchen and food safety, common cooking terms, proper food handling, measuring techniques, critical thinking and team building skills, planning and time management.
“The camp took place the week of June 26th-29th 2023. This year’s theme was “Cooking Around the World” and the theme allowed children and teens to experience food and cultures from around the world—not just the Louisiana backyard.
Besides learning food preparation, the campers learned food safety and the importance of a healthy lifestyle, with time built into the camp for exercising. In the end, students were exposed to a variety of new foods and were able to take home a vegetable they could use in any type of recipe they pleased.”
-Camellia Brown, SNAP-Ed educator Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides Parishes
“We had a large group this year! Mrs. Carolyn and I had prepared for 30 campers. We had to scramble to make room for the additional children. It was a great group and, both, Mrs. Carolyn and I really enjoyed the week and felt like our campers did, too.
They were eager to learn and very excited to try the recipes that they had prepared for themselves. We provided a light breakfast when they arrived and began our nutrition lesson while they were eating. We followed up the daily lesson with a nutrition related activity. Their favorite part of the day was preparing the recipe and, then, of course eating what they had prepared. We had solicited our local elected officials and businesses. We were fortunate to have enough sponsorships that our camp was fully funded by these generous donations. We averaged 40-43 campers per day and had 8 junior leaders. We, also, had 6 adult volunteers and all of campers and other workers were able to have a meal each day.
All in all, we considered this camp to be a success and feel like our campers definitely will be eager to join us next year!”
-Theresa Sammons, SNAP-Ed Educator East and West Carroll Parishes
“C.H.E.F. Camp “Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods” is a fun and interactive way to teach youth basic food preparation principles, food safety and nutrition based on the USDA’s, “MyPlate” food guidance system and Dietary Guidelines.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with the Town of Farmerville and Farmerville Parks and Recreation, C.H.E.F Camp is part of their series of summer day camps. Generous donations of supplies from local businesses and community members help reduce the cost of the camp. The Town of Farmerville provided the campers and adults with a shirt to commemorate the week. D’Arbonne Master Gardeners, parents and community members volunteered their time throughout the week to help with the camp. Campers said they had been “super excited about camp” since it was advertised. Some of the campers said they “had been waiting all summer for C.H.E.F. camp to start”.
One camper asked “we are having C.H.E.F. Camp again next summer, right”?”
Marianna Langston, SNAP-Ed Educator, Union and Morehouse Parishes
“C.H.E.F. camp is a fun, interactive camp for youths aged 9 – 12 years old that focus on learning about MyPlate, Food & kitchen safety, being physically active, and preparing healthy and enjoyable foods. This year we had a total of 13 students to participate. During C.H.E.F. Camp the children learn invaluable information for themselves, and easily transfer the knowledge gained to their peers and families.
The most exciting part was when KTVE paid a visit to the camp to broadcast all the wonderful things we did.”
Brittny Sims-Washington, SNAP-Ed educator, Madison, Tensas, and Richland Parishes