NUTRITION EDUCATION IN

SECONDARY SCHOOLS
E XPANDING F UEL FOR F UN INTO M IDDLE AND H IGH S CHOOLS IN
P OUDRE S CHOOL D ISTRICT

C AITLIN J. J ACOBSEN
C OLORADO S TATE U NIVE RSITY
Fall 2016

A BSTRACT
Childhood obesity is a serious and problem in the United States. To combat this issue, there are
many programs in place to educate students about nutrition and food preparation. This study
analyzes nutrition related Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) courses in middle and high
schools in Poudre School District. To acquire information on the current programs in place,
seven teachers were interviewed and five cooking classrooms were observed based on predetermined criteria. Following the interviews and observations, it was determined that there
are many programs in place to educate students on the importance of nutrition and food
preparation, however there are significant gaps in the FACS program that can be filled by an
external program such as Fuel for Fun (FFF), Cooking with Kids. This program, initially created
for use in a 4th grade classroom, has the potential to be adapted as a supplement to the FACS
classes in Poudre School District. This study is associated with the Fuel for Fun program, as an
opportunity to expand the program to meet the needs of an older target audience.

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
I NTRODUCTION

M E THODS

R E SULTS

D ISCUSSION

14

I MPLICATIONS

15

W ORKS C ITE D
A PPE NDIX A

18
20

A PPE NDIX B

21

A PPE NDIX C

22

A PPE NDIX D

25

A PPE NDIX E

27

I NTRODUCTION
Adolescent Obesity in the United States
Child and adolescent obesity is a growing problem in the United States. In 2012, approximately
17% of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years were classified as obese.1 This number has almost
quadrupled since 1980, but has remained stable in recent years.2 In Colorado, the obesity rate among
children and adolescents is slightly lower. In 2013, 14.5% of children and adolescents were obese and
12.0% were overweight. Similar to national trends, the percent of children in Colorado who were
classified as overweight or obese has not changed significantly in the past 10 years.3 On a more local
scale, 24% of children and adolescents in Larimer county were overweight in 2013, according to the
Colorado Department of Health survey.4 It is clear that child and adolescent obesity is a serious problem
on a local, state, and national scale.
There are many factors that influence the prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity, such
as lack of physical activity, poor eating habits, and high amounts of screen time.5 Children and
adolescents (ages 6-17) should receive at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.6 However, according
to the department of Public Health and Environment, only 43% of children met the recommendation in
2015. Furthermore, 51.2% of children and adolescents met the dietary recommendation of 2 servings of
fruit per day, and only 13.3% of children and adolescents ate 3 or more servings of vegetables per day.3
The USDA reports that Americans spend approximately half of their food budgets away from home
consuming foods high in calories, fat, and saturated fat, and lower in calcium, iron, and fiber.7 Child and
adolescent obesity may be due to genetic factors that influence metabolism, body fat composition, and
energy balance. Other environmental factors may include parent-child interactions, school
environment, accessibility and affordability of healthy food, and nutrition education programs that
promote or discourage childhood obesity.5,7 Obesity is a common yet multi-faceted condition in children
and adolescents in the United States.
Childhood obesity has many short- and long-term consequences. Obese children are 80% more
likely to maintain obesity in adulthood. Children who are obese typically have a negative body image,
low self-esteem, depression, poor performance in school, and anxiety.8,9 Overweight and obese children
are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome due to high blood pressure,

dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, and poor pulmonary function. They are also more likely to
have hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and prediabetes. Severe obesity is associated with obstructive
sleep apnea syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and musculoskeletal problems.8 Because
childhood obesity can be so detrimental to health and wellbeing, it is imperative to expose children
early to effective nutrition education programs, including cooking education.

National and State Health and Nutrition Education Requirements

Nutrition intervention is crucial for the prevention of childhood obesity. The health education
standards for preK-12 grade in the United States were recently revised to include 7 standards for health
promotion. These standards include health promotion and disease prevention; the influence of family,
peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors; the ability to access valid
information, products, and services for optimal health; the ability to use interpersonal communication
to enhance health and reduce health risks; decision making skills for health; setting health goals;
practicing health-enhancing behaviors to avoid or reduce health risks; and demonstrating the ability to
advocate for personal, family, and community health.10 These 7 categories set the framework for health
education in the United States.
In 2008, the State Board of Education in Colorado updated and revised K-12 standards for health
and physical education to include health and wellness concepts. The four categories of health education
now include movement competence and understanding, physical and personal wellness, emotional and
social wellness, and prevention and risk management. Physical and personal wellness educates students
about the importance of physical activity, healthy eating habits, health promotion, disease prevention,
and health maintenance.11 This project focuses on physical and personal wellness, however, nutrition
education applies to all four categories in the standards. Poudre School District closely follows these
standards to encourage students to focus on personal decision making, positive communication,
violence prevention, physical activity, tobacco, drug, and alcohol abuse prevention, and healthy eating.12

Elementary School Nutrition Intervention Programs

There are several programs in place to educate elementary school-aged children on nutrition
and food preparation. These programs are located throughout the United States and have had good
success in promoting fruit and vegetable intake, educating on food preparation, and encouraging

healthy eating habits. Examples of these programs include CATCH13, Serving Up MyPlate14, 5 a day15,
and Fuel for Fun: Cooking with Kids Plus Parents and Play 16,17,18(FFF). These programs are instrumental in
educating elementary school-aged children on the importance of healthy food preparation and proper
nutrition.
The FFF Curriculum was adapted for use in Colorado by the Colorado State University
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Cooking with Kids, Inc (CWK) in 2012. The
program curriculum stems from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative for Childhood
Obesity Prevention. The CWK program motivates and empowers children to make healthy food choices
through hands-on learning with fresh, affordable foods from diverse cultural traditions.17,18 The
program, developed for fourth grade students, focuses on sanitation and safety, fruit and vegetable
tasting lessons, cooking lessons, and student enrichment activities. This curriculum is implemented in
the classroom, with stand-alone cooking stations and no need for a formal cooking facility. The FFF
curriculum addresses environmental factors to create an effective program for students. The main
curriculum topics are described below (Table 1)
Table 1: Fuel for Fun Topics and Curriculum Covered
Topic

Curriculum Covered

Safety and Sanitation

Kitchen Sanitation, Food Safety, Cooking Safety,

Knife Safety.

Fruit and Vegetable Tasting Lessons

Consuming a rainbow of foods15, MyPlate19

1-hour fruit and vegetable tastings to explore
food preferencesmelons, apples, citrus fruits,
salads, peas.

Cooking Lessons

Two-hour cooking lessons on basic cooking styles

and preparation of cultural foodsChinese
American Fried Rice, Minestrone, Black Bean
Tostados, Llapingachos, Vegetable Paella.
Includes lessons on food and nutrition,
geography, science, and writing to address the
CO standards for education.20

Student Enrichment Activities

Active recess, cafeteria reinforcement, Family

education. 16

There are several methods to determine program effectiveness in The FFF curriculum. To assess
student progression, the FFF program surveys students at 3 timesprior to the intervention (baseline),
after the intervention is complete (Follow-Up 1), and during the following school year (Follow-Up 2).
Students are assessed to determine fruit and vegetable preferences, cooking attitudes, cooking selfefficacy, and prior cooking experience. They are also measured for height and weight before and after
the program.21 These evaluation measurements provide valuable insight to the success of the program.
The Cooking with Kids curriculum has proven to be an effective nutrition intervention program
for fourth grade students. In the follow up surveys, fruit and vegetable preferences were significantly
higher. In addition, cooking attitudes and self-efficacy had improved for students involved in a pilot
study conducted with Poudre School District schools.22 These results present strong evidence for
nutrition and cooking intervention in elementary school aged children.

Middle School Nutrition Intervention Programs

In addition to elementary school intervention programs, there are also many programs in place
to educate middle school children on the importance of eating well, cooking and preparing foods, and
understanding the basics of nutrition. Such programs include CATCH,23 Project EAT,24 Lets Cook!,25 and
C3: Choice, Control & Change.26 These programs target cooking skills, nutrition education, and food
preferencessimilar to the FFF Program.16 Many middle schools offer FACS programs that include
cooking and nutrition related curriculum (Table 2).
Table 2: Curriculum Covered in Colorado Middle School FACS Classes

Topic

Curriculum Covered

Nutrition

USDA food guidelines, nutrients and functions,

and food choice factors such as lifestyle, dietary
needs, culture, and technology.

Managing Nutritional Needs

The practical aspect of preparing food

shopping, labels, and advertising.

Lab Management

Safety, sanitation, equipment, and lab

organization in a cooking lab.

Kitchen Basics

Kitchen equipment, cooking terms, reading and

using a recipe, measuring techniques,
abbreviations and equivalents, and food
preparation.

The Colorado FACS curriculum for middle school students is designed to teach students how to
manage individual, family, career, and community roles and responsibilities.27 The Foods and Nutrition
course is divided into eight sections. By the completion of the course, students are expected to
demonstrate nutrition and wellness practices that enhance individual and family well-being, integrate
knowledge, skills, and practices required for food-related careers, and understand wellness practices
that enhance well-being.27

High School Nutrition Intervention Programs

There is significantly less research on nutrition education programs in place for high school
students. Gimme 5: A Fresh Nutrition Concept for Students28 targets fruit and vegetable consumption
and was one example identified through a literature search.29 Students in high school also have the
opportunity to receive nutrition education through FACS programs in school.
Colorado FACS standards in High School focus on wellness, exercise, digestion and metabolism,
principals of nutrition, and consumerism of wellness products and services30. The course is designed to
develop lifelong, healthy behaviors that transition into adulthood. The five main topic areaswellness,
exercise and fitness, digestion, metabolism, and energy balance, principles of nutrition, and
consumerism of wellnessare described in table 3 below.
Table 3: Colorado FACS High School Curriculum
Topic
Wellness

Curriculum Covered
Wellness benefits, factors, trends and issues,
information, and careers.

Exercise and Fitness

Benefits of exercise and fitness, components of

fitness, program design, and sports nutrition.

Digestion, Metabolism, and Energy Balance

Digestion, metabolism, and energy balance.

Principles of Nutrition

Nutrition guidelines, water, energy nutrients,

non-energy nutrients, non-nutritive compounds.

Consumerism of Wellness

Healthy eating habits, informed choices,

purchasing, and wellness issues.

Benefits of School Nutrition Intervention Programs

There is a large body of research to support the benefits of school nutrition intervention
programs for children and adolescents. Nutrition intervention and culinary skill programs are positively
associated with sustainable dietary changes, cooking self-efficacy, and fruit and vegetable preferences.
Adolescence and emerging adulthood are viewed as formative periods. Therefore, nutrition intervention
is crucial for developing long term eating behaviors that track into adulthood.31
Students who learn food preparation skills and nutrition education have more control over what
they consume. Those who prepare meals at home (rather than eat out) are more likely to consume
foods that are lower in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.32 They are also more likely to prepare foods
high in fiber, folate, and vitamin A. In addition, individuals who cook at home are more likely to meet the
dietary recommendations for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein.32,33,34 Food preparation
during emerging adulthood is associated with a higher diet quality in mid- to late- twenties due to the
development of culinary skills and exposure to fruit and vegetables.30 Self-preparation of food increases
liking and consumption of foods, as compared to eating healthy food prepared by others.33 Nutrition
and culinary education in schools gives students the power to choose what they eat.
School programs offer a unique advantage in culinary skills and nutrition education because it
gives students the opportunity to learn and grow with their peers. Creating a positive atmosphere that
allows students to experience new foods and skills with other students leads to higher skill retention.34
Furthermore, adolescents are in a period of social development where they value their peers opinions.
Allowing students to learn and grow from each other, FACS programs in schools can improve students
perceptions of foods.34 School FACS programs also have the ability to tailor the nutrition and culinary
education program to meet other education standards. Unfortunately, due to pressure from
standardized testing and financial goals, there is often lack of support for courses that teach life skills.
A successful strategy is for schools to combine nutrition education with math, social sciences, writing,
and science to address tested academic standards as well as provide valuable life skills experience.34 The

school system is a valuable vehicle for nutrition and culinary education, as it provides long term benefits
and can incorporate many academic standards.
The purpose of this study is to assess nutrition and cooking intervention programs available in
middle and high schools in Poudre School District. Based on the results from interviews, observations,
and a curriculum review, it will be possible to determine the plausibility of incorporating FFF into the
secondary school system.

M E THODS
Interviews
The FFF program, implemented in Colorado since 2012, is an extension of the Cooking with Kids
program16,17,18 that educates fourth grade students on cooking skills and nutrition knowledge. To assess
the current programs in place for middle and high school students in Poudre School District, teachers in
the district were asked several questions about their program.
Only middle and high school FACS teachers in Poudre School District were interviewed for this
project. All teachers were contacted by email, and voluntarily agreed to participate in the interviews.
The interviews were conducted during the school day in the teachers classroom.
Interviews consisted of eleven questions (Appendix A) regarding the programs available at the
school, the students knowledge of cooking and nutrition before and after the program, the strengths
and areas of improvement, evaluation tools in place, health requirements in the schools, and enrollment
in the program. These questions were carefully selected to assess the feasibility of implementing the FFF
Curriculum in Middle/High Schools.

Observations
In addition to interviews, teachers were contacted about classroom observations. Teachers who
consented to the classroom observation provided dates that the students would be working in the

cooking lab. All observations occurred in schools where the students had the opportunity to cook and
prepare foods.
Observations were based on 7 criteria (Appendix B) that assessed the size of the class, overall
age of the students, and prior cooking competencies of the students. With the teachers permission,
students were asked questions relating to their previous cooking experience. Students were chosen at
random for the questions and did not provide identifying information. Observation criteria and
questions were designed for comparison of the FFF program to current programs in Poudre School
District middle and high schools.

R E SULTS
Interviews
Ten teachers were contacted by email in late August with an interview request. Of those 10
teachers, 7 responded with permission for an interview. Interviews occurred from September 1
October 21, typically during the teachers planning period. Interviews lasted 10-15 minutes. Specific
results from the interviews are described below and in Appendix C. While the interview responses
varied, there were many trends between the programs as summarized here.

Courses that cover nutrition-related topics

There are many different types of classes offered in the Poudre School District FACS programs.
These classes are listed in table 4 below.Common classes include Creative Foods*, Teen Living*, and
Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods ***.
Table 4: Nutrition-Related FACS Courses
Creative Foods*
Preston Middle School
Middle School

Introduction to FACS
Teen Living**

Webber Middle School

Creative Foods*
Food Around the World

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Teen Living**
After School Enrichment
Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods ***
Rocky Mountain High School

Gourmet Foods
Living on Your Own
Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods ***

High School

Fort Collins High School

Catering I
Catering II
Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods ***

Poudre High School

Healthy Living
Teen Choices

Description of the course

Table 5 offers a description of the topics covered in each nutrition-related FACS course. The
information provided for these tables is based on interviews with teachers, and not on specific course
curriculum. However, it provides insight to the scope of curriculum covered in FACS classes in the district
Table 5: Topics Covered in FACS Courses
Course Name
Creative Foods

School

Topics Covered

Preston Middle School

Safety, Sanitation, Measuring, Knife Skills,

Webber Middle School

Cooking skills, MyPlate, Food Groups

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack Nutrition,

Cooking for Health and

Nutrition

Preston Middle School

Healthy standards, Recipe adaptation for

healthy living, Nutrition Misconceptions,
Macronutrients
Food preparation from cultures around the

Foods Around the World

Preston Middle School

Teen Living

Webber Middle School

Individual cooking skills

Introduction to FACS

Webber Middle School

Basic nutrition knowledge and skills

Course Name

School

Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods

Rocky Mountain High School

world

Topics Covered

11

Fort Collins High School

Cooking healthful meals, Identifying food

Poudre High School

groups, Basic Cooking skills

Gourmet Foods

Rocky Mountain High School

Living on your Own

Rocky Mountain High School

Catering I & II

Fort Collins High School

Teen Choices

Poudre High School

Cooking and food preparation skills through

practical skill training
Limited Exposure to preparing healthful,
inexpensive meals.
Cooking and food preparation skills through
practical skill training

Overall, teachers reported a large range of cooking exposure in class. Some programs, such as
the Catering I/II and Gourmet Food preparation classes gave students the opportunity to cook multiple
times per week. Other courses, such as Living on your Own and Teen living only offered 3-4 cooking labs
over the course of the class.

Prior cooking knowledge of students

Teachers in middle school programs typically assessed students prior knowledge of cooking as
being very limited. According to Sally Vacante at Preston Middle School, kids and teachers typically
overestimate their cooking skills. While there are some students with advanced food preparation
knowledge, the majority of students at both Preston and Webber Middle School have little to no
experience with cooking prior to taking a FACS course.
At Rocky Mountain, Poudre, and Fort Collins high school, teachers also reported an overall low
knowledge of cooking and food preparation, although higher than in middle school. In the freshman and
sophomore courses, students typically had lower culinary knowledge than Juniors and Seniors in the
program. Middle and high school teachers indicated that former nutrition and culinary knowledge
varies with home life and personal experiences.

Evaluation tools
Preston and Webber Middle Schools utilize a pre/post test system for evaluating student
performance. Students in both programs complete an evaluation of the cooking labwhat went well,
what went poorly, the ingredients involved, their preferences for the food, and how their group

12

performed. An example of this evaluation is located in Appendix D. They were also graded through
careful observation by the teacher to assess ability to follow recipe, group work, and adherence to the
recipe.
At Rocky Mountain High School, students are graded on a rubric for cleanliness, planning,
preparation, ability to follow the recipe, and completion of the assignments. The students also complete
a project and are quizzed over each unit related to nutrition information. At Fort Collins High School, the
Catering I/II students final involves a Chopped competition event where they plan, price, market, and
prepare food to present to a guest judge, modeled after the Cooking Network TV program. At Poudre
High School, students are evaluated through observation and ability to follow the recipes.

Evaluation of Cooking Knowledge Improvement

Middle and high School teachers reported knowledge and skill improvement over the course of
the class. In addition, students generally report greater confidence and pride in their ability to cook
healthy foods.

Strengths of the programs

Most teachers in middle and high schools indicated strengths in the ability to teach life skills to
the students, the opportunity to teach students about food, cooking and nutrition with hands on
experience, and peer mentoring. Working in the kitchen during class time, students are able to apply the
skills that they learn in lecture to actual food preparation. In addition, students have the opportunity to
interact with their peers in a positive environmentencouraging and learning from each other.

Room for improvement in the programs

Limitations indicated in Middle school programs include lack of enthusiasm for nutrition
education courses, difficulty marketing classes, and a stronger emphasis on food preparation than on
nutrition education.
A commonality in high school FACS programs was difficulty in developing a program that
teaches students how to cook nutritious foods but still lets them cook the foods they already enjoy. This
concern pertains to class enrollment and the availability of funding. In addition, many programs would
like to expand their kitchen and offer students more time in cooking labs to apply the information they
learned in the classroom. This time is currently very limited due to the pressure to meet curriculum
standards as well as competition for the kitchen space.

13

Amanda Johnson and Poudre High School reported that she would like to add more of an
emphasis on personal wellness, rather than general nutrition. Such topics would include smoking, screen
time, exercise, sleep, and personalized nutrition.

Nutrition and health requirements

All teachers indicated that their school required some form of health education. At Webber
Middle school, all students are required to take the introductory FACS class in sixth grade, but seventh
and eighth grade classes are all optional. In high school programs, FACS classes provide some health
credits (out of the required 15 to graduate).

Number of students enrolled in FACS Classes

Information on student enrollment is indicated in table 6. This information is provided for
specific course enrollment as well as total program enrollment.
Theme 6: Enrollment Numbers for FACS Courses and Programs
School Name

Course Enrollment

Preston Middle School

Cooking for Health and Wellness: 50

Creative Foods: 128
Food Around the World: 128

Total Enrollment

370

After School Program: 64

Webber Middle School

Creative Foods: 90
Introduction to FACS: 150

Rocky Mountain High School

240

Nutrition, Wellness, and Food: 250

Living on Your Own: 96

446

Gourmet Foods: 100

Fort Collins High School

Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods: 163

Catering I & II: 400

Poudre High School

Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods: 105

Teen Choices: 125-150

Observations

563

255

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In addition to an interview request, teachers were contacted by email with a request for
observation. Ten teachers were contacted and six responded with permission for an interview during
the school day. Interviews occurred from September 1 October 21 during class periods where the
students would be cooking in the kitchens.
Students were observed on several aspects. Observation criteria is located in Appendix B.
Number of students, number of cooking stations, and number of students per cooking station was
determined by counting the number of students and stations. Students were then observed for the
ability to demonstrate specific competenciesoverall measuring competencies, chopping and knife
skills, ability to follow a recipe, and demonstrated knowledge of cooking tools and utensils. Students
were scored inadequate, needs improvement, neutral, proficient, and excellent, based on the skills they
performed (table 7). Results from observations are recorded in Appendix E.
Table 7: Scoring Criteria for Observations
Inadequate

No students effectively demonstrated the skill.

Needs Improvement

Very few students effectively demonstrated the skill.

Neutral

Half of the students effectively demonstrated the skill.

Proficient

Most students effectively demonstrated the skill (but not all).

Excellent

All students effectively demonstrated the skill

D ISCUSSION
These programs meet the Colorado standards for FACS Nutrition and Wellness programs, as
well as some of the health requirements of Poudre School District. Each school provided very different
curriculum in each of the classes. The classes worked together to develop cooking skills, nutrition
knowledge, and career goals for lifelong wellness. Interviews with teachers indicated that the programs
provide students with a fun, interactive environment to develop lifelong cooking skills. In addition,
teachers see significant improvement in the students culinary skills over the course of the semester.
This is important to note, as many of the students have little to no experience prior to taking the course.
Teachers indicated that they would like to see greater exposure to healthful foods, greater
enrollment in nutrition- and culinary-related classes, more experience in the kitchen, and more freedom

15

in the class curriculum. This indicates substantial gaps that could be filled through an external
curriculum.

Study Strengths and Limitations

This study was beneficial in gaining insight from the teachers on class curriculum, program
strengths, and program needs. There were many similarities between teacher interviews, indicating a
widespread need for additional nutrition and culinary education in schools. Teacher interviews and
classroom observations were consistent with the information identified in the literature and curriculum
review.
Due to the narrow scope of this project, there are limitations in the results presented. With a
short time-frame, student culinary competence observations were made one time. Therefore, it was
difficult to assess any improvement in the students culinary knowledge. In addition, students were
observed at different times in the semester. This makes it inappropriate to compare the programs
against each other, as students were at different stages of learning. To gain a greater perspective on the
FACS programs in Poudre School District, it would have been beneficial to interview and observe every
classroom in the district over a long period of time. However, this was not possible due to scheduling
conflicts and lack of teacher cooperation. Despite the limitations of this study, it was clear that
significant gaps exist in the FACS programs offered in the district. This leaves room for additional
programs like FFF to meet childrens needs for nutrition education and culinary skill training.

I MPLICATIONS
Based on this study, there is sufficient evidence to support the decision to incorporate FFF into
secondary schools in Poudre School Districts. This would require collaboration with FACS teachers,
adaptation of the program to meet curriculum standards in middle and high schools, and incorporation
the program into the school schedule. Interviews and observations indicate successful and effective
FACS programs in middle and high schools in the district. However, there are also some schools in the
district that do not have the resources to provide nutrition education and culinary experience to
students. At the schools where FACS nutrition and wellness courses are offered, not all students are
required to enroll in a class. This leaves a substantial number of students without exposure to cooking,
knowledge of nutrition, or culinary skills. Even though the programs are beneficial for the students
involved (as demonstrated by observations and interviews), there are significant gaps in the program
that go beyond the abilities of the public schools. Such gaps include limited funding, limited access to

16

the kitchens due to scheduling, and pressure to meet testedcurriculum standards. With external
funding, stand-alone cooking equipment, and a predeveloped curriculum, a program like FFF would be
beneficial as a supplement to FACS programs in Poudre School District.
FFF offers unique elements that are not included in the FACS programs in the district. Besides
the Food Around the World class at Preston, students in Poudre School District receive little to no
education on foods from different cultures. The FFF program is distinct in that all cooking lessons stem
from a different cultural basis. This would provide students with culinary skills and nutrition knowledge
beyond that of which they learn in the FACS classroom. In addition, there are very few classes in Poudre
School District Schools that offer fruit and vegetable tasting lessons. The FFF program would be
beneficial in this area, as it includes consistent tasting lessons of new and familiar fruits and vegetables.
Similar to FACS classes, the FFF program incorporates educational standards in math, social sciences,
language, and science. This would be beneficial for the school systems as it would allow students to
continue their education outside of the conventional classroom. FFF has many beneficial qualities that
encourage the implementation of the program into a middle or high school setting.
FFF was originally developed for fourth grade students. Therefore, there are some changes that
must occur in the transition into secondary education. As students progress through secondary school,
they are beginning to develop their independence. Therefore, it is important to allow students to
participate in the planning and preparation of cooking lessons. This can be as simple as having students
plan team roles, or as complicated as giving students the freedom to create a new recipe using specific
ingredients. By doing this, students will have more independence and responsibility in their work. In
addition to independence, students in secondary education are developing social skills. Students in
secondary school are much more interested in group work and peer acceptance than students at a
younger age. To target this need, it is important for students to work as a team to complete cooking labs
and activities. The FFF program can cater to this need by creating small groups of students who work
together to create a meal. The schools involved in this study used student groupings of 4-6 to facilitate
the group dynamic. These changes will allow FFF to be more effective in a secondary school
environment.
The FFF program would fit well into the Creative Foods Course in middle school and the
Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods Course in high school. It would also work well as a stand-alone after
school enrichment course in middle and high school. It would be beneficial to incorporate the FFF
curriculum into the Creative Foods course in middle school because it would add the cultural element
that is missing in the Colorado standards for middle school FACS programs.27 The FFF program would be

17

a beneficial addition to the Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods course in Poudre School District high schools
because it would help to incorporate more educational standards such as geography, math, writing, and
critical thinking. Adding FFF would help fill the gaps identified by teachers in the Creative Foods and the
Nutrition, Wellness, and Foods class because it would allow students to have more opportunities to
apply their culinary skill knowledge with less competition for the school kitchens. It would also help
teachers to add more nutrition education in the program, which was previously a concern due to the
need for high enrollment numbers and limited funding from the school. As an after-school enrichment
course, the FFF program would allow the FACS program to reach more students who are unable to
enroll for the traditional courses due to scheduling conflicts.
The FFF program developed for fourth grade students has potential to move into middle and
high schools in Poudre School District. With a unique curriculum that offers cultural exposure,
educational activities, and food tastings, the FFF program could fill the gaps that FACS in the district
have. In addition, the FFF program could meet students who are unable to enroll in FACS nutrition
courses, or those who are in FACS classes that have limited access to the kitchen. FFF and Cooking with
Kids programs do not require a formal kitchen, making them versatile and adaptable to different
environments. To tailor the program to older students, the FFF program should adapt to meet students
growing independence and desire for social experiences. By making these changes, and emphasizing the
unique functions of the program, Fuel for Fun would be a beneficial supplement to Family and
Consumer Sciences programs in secondary schools in Poudre School District.

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W ORKS C ITED
1. Childhood Obesity Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html. Published 2015. Accessed October 10, 2016.
2. By giving children a healthy start, they will be on a much better trajectory for lifelong health as they age.
Obesity Rates & Trends Overview. The State of Obesity. http://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trendsoverview/. Accessed October 10, 2016.
3. Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Colorado: Facts for Action. Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment; 2015. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/dc_factsheet_slides_childhood-obesity_august_2015.pdf. Accessed October 10, 2016.
4. Child Health. Kids Count in Colorado! . http://www.coloradokids.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kidscount-2015.pdf. Published March 23, 2015. Accessed October 10, 2016.
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October 11, 2016.
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A PPENDIX A: I NTERVIEW G UIDE

I NTERVIEW G UIDE F OR T EACHER I NTERVIEWS

o In which of the courses do you cover nutrition related topics?
o Please describe the types of food and nutrition classes you offer in your FACS program.
o Generally, how would you rate the prior cooking skills and abilities of students who take
one of your food and nutrition classes for the first time?
o How does their knowledge of cooking improve as the semester progresses?
o What exposure do students have to cooking/food prep in each of your food and
nutrition related courses?
o What evaluation tools are in place to assess students improvement over the course of
the class related to cooking knowledge and skills, fruit/vegetable preferences, and
nutrition knowledge?
o What are some of the greatest strengths of the food and nutrition related courses
offered through your FACS program?
o With regard to the food and nutrition courses you offer at the secondary level, where do
you see room for improvement?
o What are current nutrition and health requirements in your school?
o What percentage of students are enrolled in your class?
o Is there anyone else you recommend I speak with?

21

A PPENDIX B: O BSERVATION T OOL

O BSERVATION T OOL FOR C LASSROOM O BSERVATIONS
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Age of students in the class: _____________ - _____________

Number of students in the class: _____________
Number of cooking areas: _____________
Number of students in each cooking area: _____________
Overall measuring competencies: inadequate // needs improvement // neutral // proficient // excellent
Chopping/knife skills: inadequate // needs improvement // neutral // proficient // excellent
Ability to follow a recipe: inadequate // needs improvement // neutral // proficient // excellent
Demonstrated knowledge of cooking tools and utensils: inadequate // needs improvement // neutral //
proficient // excellent

A PPENDIX C: I NTERVIEW T ABLE

A PPENDIX D: S TUDENT E VALUATION E XAMPLES 1

TASTING EVALUATION
Describe two specific things that you liked about
this food.
Describe one thing you would like to change if
you were making this product.
If you made the change in #2, how do you think
that would change the end result? Would it be an
acceptable change?
Rate this product on a scale of 1-10 (think about
taste, texture, overall quality):
1 = I wouldnt be excited about eating this again
10 = I would order this at a restaurant if it was on
the menu!
Why do you give it this rating?

From Preston Middle School Cooking for Health and Wellness

COOKING EVALUATION
Describe and explain two specific things about the
cooking process that went well during this lab.
Describe and explain one specific thing you could
have done to improve the cooking process during
this lab.
Evaluate each persons contribution during this
lab. Grade each person in your group based on his
or her performance, sanitation practices,
participation, clean-up, enthusiasm, and
cooperation.
What two things did you like about this product (the
food)?
What would you change if you made this recipe
again? Explain.
How could you make this food even healthier?
If you made the change in #6, how do you think that
would change the end result? Would the change be
acceptable? Why or why not?

A PPENDIX E: O BSERVATION T ABLE

Scoring Criteria:

Inadequate: 0 children effectively demonstrated the skill.

Needs Improvement: Few children effectively demonstrated the skill.
Neutral: half of the students could effectively demonstrate the skill.
Proficient: most students effectively demonstrated the skill.
Excellent: all children effectively demonstrated the skill.