VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Teen Cuisine, a Barnes County/NDSU cooking camp for teens, is currently taking registrations for local upcoming summer classes. According to Susan Milender, NDSU County Extension Educator, “The cooking classes we offer for younger children have been so popular, we decided to offer a cooking skills class for teens this summer”. The deadline to sign up for this class is July 2nd.

This series of classes is designed to teach youth important life skills to promote optimal health-both in the present and future. In the classes, the kids will have hands on experiences in the kitchen learning about important food preparation skills while learning about nutrition. Through her years teaching cooking and nutrition classes, she has found that youth lack confidence in their basic kitchen skills.

This course was developed by Virginia Extension and adopted by NDSU Extension. According to the authors of the curriculum, almost half of all money spent on food in 2021 was from eating away from home compared to a quarter of food spending in 1970. Foods prepared away from home are usually less healthy including higher in calories, total fat, and lower in nutrients like calcium for strong bones and teeth. Milender states that there are a lot of reasons why people choose to eat away from home; one of the reasons she recognizes is the decline in cooking skills. She goes on to say, “I am really excited to bring Teen Cuisine to Barnes County because ultimately the course teaches youth the skills they need to prepare meals and snacks at home which will empower teens to adopt healthier lifestyles.”

The classes will be offered either in person or via zoom. Milender says that we are offering the course in a variety of forms to meet the needs of many. “Teens may come and cook along with me in the VCPS FACS kitchens, they can cook along at home, or they can view a recording and cook along when it is convenient for them.” In person and cook along classes will be held on Mondays, July 12, 19, August 2,9,16 from 9:30 -11:30 AM. To register, call Susan at 845-8528.