Strategies to Promote High School Students’ Healthful Food Choices

Studies have suggested that skill-building through hands-on cooking as a nutrition education strategy, is effective to improve overall dietary quality among participants. FamilyCook Productions' "Diet for a Healthy Planet with Teen Battle Chefs(TM)" curriculum using this approach, was piloted in 2008 in a Brooklyn public high school resulting in a statistically significant improvements in dietary quality as well as attitudinal improvements and efforts by students to support changes in school food service. Program evaluation used the RE-AIM framework and employed both quantitative and qualitative strategies including pre and post program surveys, focus groups, and weekly electronic teacher feedback. The program has since grown to over 85 high schools in 16 states. (Contains 1 table.)