UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Members of Pennsylvania 4-H recently took part in 4-H Food and Nutrition Day, an event in which participants worked with professors at Penn State’s University Park campus to help prepare lunch and explore the world of nutrition and food science.

The program, developed by the 4-H Food and Nutrition Day task force and Penn State’s Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Health and Human Development, is designed to teach youth interested in food and nutrition projects the fundamentals of related skills and careers through interactive and hands-on activities guided by Penn State 4-H extension educators and faculty members.

The event featured activities such as preparing lunch in the kitchen, a “Create a Delicious Dip” competition, hands-on workshops in the Metabolic Lab and Virtual Reality Lab, a career panel, a “Favorite Food Review” competition, a food science workshop, and an “Amazing Apples” activity.

The 4-H members prepared a lunch that included stuffed pepper soup, a green salad with homemade ranch dressing, Caesar salad, broccoli-stuffed shells and Mexican chicken casserole. The desserts were a mixed berry crisp and crispy marshmallow squares.

“We hope that they tried a new food or recipe, felt a sense of belonging, and learned something new about nutrition or food science,” said Laura Rodgers, 4-H extension educator based in Lancaster County and member of the 4-H Healthy Living Team.

Julie Szep, 4-H program coordinator and member of the 4-H Healthy Living Team, noted that the event gave the 4-H’ers a chance to interact with Penn State professors and students, providing participants with knowledge and experiences to consider when planning their futures.

Rodgers and Szep said participants were asked to complete an evaluation at the end of the day, and almost all the attendees indicated that they would like to attend future events such as this one. They pointed out that the 4-H team is already planning for the 2026 Food and Nutrition Day.

Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Pennsylvania 4-H website at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h/counties.

—Penn State Extension