Turning Up the Heat on Nutrition: Cooking Up Community Change with Low-Income High School Students

The UIC-Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion (CPHP) represents a network of partnerships organized to support community based interventions to improve nutrition and reduce disparities in outcomes associated with nutritional diseases including obesity and malnutrition in low income Chicagoans. Guided by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Neighborhoods Initiative, the CPHP provides high quality, age, gender and ethnically specific nutrition education in a variety of venues across the city. In partnership with both the Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) and the Chicago Public Schools Education to Careers Culinary Arts Program (CPS-ETC), the CPHP delivers a series of four hands-on lessons provided to increase the nutrition knowledge and improve the nutrition behavior of low-income students participating in the Chicago Public Schools ETC Culinary Arts program. In addition, students learn how to prepare and cook utilizing nutrition principles learned to create healthier lifestyles for themselves and their families. The nutritional topics covered include: MyPyramid dietary guidelines; fruits & vegetables at every meal; healthy breakfast; nutrients in balance; portion control; fast-food and fad diets; fat, salt, & sugar; healthy snacking; cooking soups and sauces the healthy way; measuring nutrients in recipes; calcium and beverage choices. The program is concluded with a knowledge and behavior assessment. A total of eight Chicago Public Schools, 14 sections, 394 students have participated in the program. Future applications include further implementing nutrition and wellness programs with partnering schools.