Pink and Dude Chef Afterschool Cooking Program: Improving Food Knowledge and Skills in Middle School Students

The purpose of the study is to evaluate an afterschool program to teach nutrition through basic cooking skills. This after school extracurricular program increases the students' confidence, knowledge, and skills for cooking as one of the first steps for dietary improvement. In addition to the life lessons students learn during this class, they gain self-confidence and become self-sufficient culinary experts that are capable of educating their siblings, parents, and social circles. This research project will test the impact this program has on nutritional knowledge, culinary efficacy, and nutritional choices made in and out of the home. The Pink and Dude Chef Afterschool Cooking Program was developed through STRIDE (Science through Translational Research in Diet and Exercise at California Polytechnic state University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Hypothesis: Middle school students participating in the Pink and Dude Chef afterschool cooking program will increase nutritional knowledge, culinary efficacy, motivation to eat fruits and vegetables, and fruit and vegetable intake compared to an attention control group.