1. Stanly County 4-H Favorite Food Show 2011
Leaders/Parents/Members Guide
Purpose:
To encourage families to work together to seek the latest information on food and food preparation, nutrition,
fitness, food and kitchen safety, consumer skills, and making choices that will lead to a healthier lifestyle
MEMBER OBJECTIVES
1. To increase knowledge in making healthier food choices based on the USDA Food Pyramid and then incorporate
these suggestions into their daily lives.
2. To gain experience in planning, preparing and serving food as part of a meal or snack.
3. To publicly demonstrate what they have learned.
You must then register your recipe with the 4-H office no later than January 21, 2010. The recipe you register must be
the recipe you prepare for the food show. You do not have to submit your menu at the time of registration, but please
submit a copy of your menu the day of the show to be displayed with your recipe in the 2011 Favorite Food Show
Cookbook.
To register you may do so by one of these methods:
• On-line by going to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011_Fav_Food_Show_Registration .
• By completing the registration form (attached) and emailing it back to the 4-H office.
• By printing and completing a paper copy of the form and mailing it to the 4-H office.
If you prefer to have a form mailed to you please contact the 4-H office.
Preparing Your Favorite Food Entry:
All food entries will be prepared at home prior to setting up at the favorite food show. It is suggested that the participant
practice by preparing the recipe at home prior to the event so they will be familiar with their recipe in advance. Practice
makes perfect!
All food will be prepared at home on the day of the event and transported to the show. No food will be prepared at the
Agri-Civic Center.
Choosing Your Recipe:
There are no specific food categories set for the different age groups. These are only recipe suggestions. Ideally, choose
recipes that are age appropriate.
Select a tested, favorite recipe from a cookbook, or other dependable source. It can be a family favorite that you have
prepared before or you can test your skills and try a new recipe! Then based on suggestions made in the USDA Food
Pyramid, plan a menu that would compliment your recipe. (Cloverbuds are NOT required to prepare a menu.) Helpful
resources include www.Mypyramid.gov and www.nutrition.gov.
2. On the day of the show you will only need to serve/display the recipe you have prepared from home, not your entire
menu. However, you will need to set your table however based on your entire menu. (For example, if you have soup on
your menu, you will need to include a table service that includes soup and spoon.)
• Cloverbuds (Ages 5-8) should select any easy food item that they are able to prepare by themselves or with a
little help from parents or older siblings. (Snacks and finger foods are great ideas!)
• Juniors Level 1 (Ages 9-10) select items like their favorite nutritious food, beverage, snack or
appetizer. The 4-Her should prepare their final product with only minimal parental supervision.
• Junior Level 2 (Ages 11-13) select items like a nutritious salad, soup, sandwich, yeast bread,
vegetable or dairy food. The 4-Her should prepare their final product with only minimal parental supervision.
• Seniors (Ages 14-18) select items like a favorite nutritious main dish, meat, poultry, seafood,
microwavable food, ethnic food, low calorie food item or dairy product. Although parental help is
recommended to teach participants new skills when practicing their recipe in advance; however, no parental
assistance will be allowed in the preparation of the final product. Entries made with parental
supervision will not be eligible for judging placement. If the recipe is too expensive to practice multiple
times in advance or without adult assistance, please choose a different recipe.
Setting Up Your Display:
Display your menu on the left hand side of your place setting and your recipe on the right. (Cloverbuds are not required to
have a menu.)They can stand alone, be framed or placed on the table beside your place setting.
A proper place setting is required and should accommodate the food items in your menu. Each participant will be given
approximately a 3’x3’ space. You can be creative as you desire but it is recommended to use things from your home to
play up your theme.
Cloverbuds may receive assistance from an adult if needed. However, to build independence and to gain mastery of
skills learned, it is recommended that they prepare something that is simple that would build their confidence by doing it
all their selves.
Junior and Senior participants must completely set-up their display without parental assistance. Practicing with parental
help at home will prepare them to do this for themselves on the day of the event. Again, choose displays and themes
3. participants can manage confidently and is age appropriate. Entries set-up with parental assistance or supervision will
not be eligible for judging placement. If the display or setting is too complicated to manage without adult assistance,
please choose a different recipe. Keep it fun!
On the Day of the Favorite Food Show:
Set-Up will be between 12:45-1:30 pm. Sign in at the registration table and turn an extra copy of your menu (Juniors
& Seniors) to be place in the Favorite Foods Cook book.
When you arrive everyone in attendance is to sign the attendance sheet. Then, participants find your name tag and wear it
for the entire show. Your name will be on the back of the name tag and your contestant number will be on the front. Find
your number on the table of your age division (same number as your name tag) and set up your display. Please remember,
only Cloverbuds can receive help from a parent when setting up. All Juniors and Seniors should be able to set up their
own display
Judging will begin promptly after set-up and all participants and parents should report to the kitchen to
participate in various activities. Participants will be called out individually based on their participant number.
When your number is called, you will be instructed where to wait until interviewed by the judges. (Please do not distract
or interrupt others who are being judged at that time.)
The majority of your score will be based upon the interview with the judge. Please be assured the judges interviews
will just be age appropriate conversation based on their knowledge of preparing the recipe, meal planning and making
healthier food choices. See “Possible Judges Questions” for sample questions.
While score are being tabulated, everyone is welcome to view the food displays and taste everyone’s recipes at the tasting
table. (During the set-up time, if the remainder of your food needs to be served warm later during the tasting session,
please cover it and place it in the oven in the kitchen until time for the tasting. If your dish needs to be kept refrigerated,
please cover it and place in one of the commercial coolers behind the concession stand. Be aware, the temperature of the
food will not play a role in the judging process.
Displays may be taken down once everyone has had an opportunity to view them and photos have been taken.
4-H Scholarship Money and ribbons will be awarded as follows:
• Cloverbuds: $8.00 for participation
• Juniors 1 (9-10 years old)
1st Place: $20.00
2nd Place: $18.00
3rd Place: $15.00
Participant: $8.00
• Juniors 1 (9-10 years old)
1st Place: $20.00
2nd Place: $18.00
3rd Place: $15.00
5. Only place what is required for your meal. ie: If you are not having a salad, do NOT include a salad fork or a salad
plate; if you are not having a dessert, do NOT include a dessert fork or dessert spoon; if your menu does not include a
type of bread or roll, do NOT include a bread & butter plate.)
6. SAMPLE FAVORITE FOOD SHOW IDEAS
Note that not every display needs to be “formal”. Below are ideas for several Food Review displays.
1. Birthday party theme
Something you would serve as the entrée at the birthday party
Balloons
Paper plate and napkins
Toys or presents as center piece
2. Fishing theme
Fish dish
Fishing lures
Fish bait bucket
Fish tackle box
Net
3. Hunting theme
Venison meal
Camouflage textile print
Deer or other model knick knack
4. Ethnic food theme such as Chinese
Theme around stir fry
Chop sticks
Fan
Oriental dishes
5. Magic show theme
Top hat
Stuffed rabbit
6. Picnic theme
Checkered table cloth
Favorite picnic food
Paper plates and plastic silverware
7. Farm theme
John Deere tractor memorabilia
Hardy meat dish
8. Harvest theme
Red bandana napkins
Vase with stalks wheat
9. Bee theme
Snack mix
Yellow and black colors
Pooh dish wear
7.
8. THINGS TO THINK
ABOUT
1. COLOR – pleasing color
in meals stimulates the
appetite and makes eating
a greater pleasure.
2. FLAVOR – bland foods
compliment tangy foods –
have contrast. Avoid
having more than one
strong flavored food
within a meal (onions,
turnips and rutabagas are
examples of foods with a
strong flavor).
3. TEXTURE – this means
the crispness, crunchiness,
hardness, softness,
smoothness or chewiness
of a food. Meals are
monotonous when foods
are all smooth or all crisp.
A contrast in texture is a
must in a well planned
menu.
4. FORM – combine foods
of different sizes, shapes
and proportions. The use
of all small shapes in foods
becomes unappetizing.
5. TEMPERATURE – contrasts in a meal must be considered regardless of the weather. Always serve hot
food hot and cold foods cold.
6. VARIETY – meals are most pleasing when a variety of foods are offered within the menu. Lunches and
dinners offer the most opportunity for
variety. Good menu planning usually does not allow for repeating foods and flavors within a meal (examples:
tomato juice, tomato salad, tomato
sauce).
9. Possible Judging Questions
(Just some sample questions to get you thinking!)
Remember, questions will be age appropriate.
1. How did you prepare this food? Where did you get the recipe? Have you changed the recipe and
how? Who helped you in preparing this food?
2. Why did you choose this food? How often have you prepared it?
3. How does this food fit your ability and interests?
4. What did you learn about making good decisions? As a result of this project, are you making better food choices?
5. How have you applied the things you have learned in this project?
6. What planning and organizing skills did you develop by doing this project? Does the food look
good? Have good flavor? Have good texture? Have good color? Have good shape? Is it safe to eat?
7. Why was this an important project for you to do?
8. Does the food fit the menu? Does the menu have a variety of texture, flavor, color, temperature and nutrients?
Will it look well with other foods on the menu?
9. What nutrients does the food provide? What do these nutrients do in the body? What nutrients does the menu
provide? Is the menu balanced so it includes all foods listed on the MyPyramid food guide? How could the menu
be varied to provide more nutrients? To cut down on certain nutrients? To increase or decrease calories?
10. How might you use some of these same skills in other areas of your life?
11. Would it take a long time to prepare the menu? Why or why not? Is this menu easy to prepare? Why or why not?
What skills are needed? How could this menu be varied so it would take less time to prepare? Cost less? Be
easier?
12. Is the table setting attractive? Appropriate to the casualness or formality of the menu? Correctly arranged? Would
this setting actually be used for the intended occasion?
13. If someone helped or mentored you in this project, what would you tell them you learned from them?
14. What did you learn from this project that you didn’t know before?
15. What have you learned about yourself by doing this project?
16. What role to the food choices you make and exercise (or the lack of it) make in your overall health?