Youth Gain Culinary Skills, Nutrition Knowledge at C.H.A.M.P. Camp

A group of Oklahoma City children recently donned floppy chef hats and aprons for the five-day C.H.A.M.P. Camp at the University of Oklahoma College of Allied Health in Oklahoma City, where they gained comprehensive knowledge of nutrition.

C.H.A.M.P., which stands for Children’s Healthy Activity & Meal Planning, is a summer camp for 10- to 12-year-olds to learn about nutrition, gain culinary skills, cook healthy dishes and increase their physical activity.

“I have learned that eating healthy is doable,” said Greyson Holt, age 12. “I wouldn’t have to change a lot of things to make a healthy meal, like switching from white bread to whole wheat bread or from a sugary soda to something more natural.”

Graduate-level dietetics students from the OU College of Allied Health organize and run the camp under the direction of faculty members. The camp serves as the culminating academic experience at the end of an eight-week semester. Dietetics students plan nutrition and culinary lessons, snacks and lunches, as well as games and physical activities. The camp helps them put into practice everything they’ve learned in the classroom.

Teaching 10- to 12-year-olds is an ideal time to instill nutrition knowledge and provide hands-on cooking experience, said Younes Rebbaj, C.H.A.M.P. Camp director and a clinical assistant professor in the OU College of Allied Health, Department of Nutritional Sciences.

“In a world where we think cooking is difficult, and it’s easy to get take-out food, it’s important to start nutrition knowledge early,” Rebbaj said. “Everything we teach has to be relatable and engaging for them. These kids are very smart, and they show up excited and eager to learn every day.”

Allied Health dietetics student Frankie Sperry said the campers learned basic culinary skills like cutting vegetables, and they cooked everything from a stir fry to quesadillas to a fruit pizza. On the final day of the camp, they prepared a full buffet-style meal for their parents and caregivers.

“We also teach them the five basic food groups and how to read recipes and food labels,” she said. “And they’ve had an opportunity to explore foods that they might not have tried at home or school. Maybe they will incorporate that into their own lunches that they take to school. The overall goal is to educate the kids and give them tools to use in an outside setting. They have brought so much energy that it creates a positive association with food.”

Ten-year-old Aiden Columbus perhaps said it best: “I’ve learned that I like celery.”

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About the project

For more information about C.H.A.M.P. Camp, visit link.ou.edu/champcamp.