COOKERY FOR STUDENTS

LAORENCE M. MIRANDA

The best way to teach students about eating right under the Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) course is to actually get them into the kitchen to prepare healthy meals together.

In TLE Cookery, cooking is a valuable life skill that teaches students about nutrition and food safety, as well as building math, science, literacy and fine motor skills.

Encourage a student’s interest and even excitement in healthy foods by teaching them how to cook safely with this guide of ageappropriate kitchen activities:

Food Safety Basics. Before you enter the kitchen, cover the ground rules with students first like washing hands in warm, soapy water before and after handling food; pulling long hair back; and keeping counter tops and working surfaces clean.

Food Hygiene. Teach students to wait until the food is cooked before tasting. Don’t let them lick their fingers or put their hands in their mouths, especially when working with raw foods such as cookie dough and raw meat or poultry. Avoid double dipping or putting spoons back into food after using them for tasting.

Remember, young cooks need supervision. Under TLE Cookery, there are four simple steps to remember: Wash hands, surfaces and kitchen utensils; keep raw meat, poultry and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods; cook to proper temperatures; and refrigerate promptly to 40 degrees F or below.

For the most part, students in Junior High School can work independently in the kitchen, but should still have teacher supervision. Before letting these kids do grown-up tasks on their own, assess whether they can follow basic kitchen rules.

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The author is Teacher I (Junior High School) at Diosdado Macapagal High School, Mexico, Pampanga