Food and Nutrition Project

2024-2025 County 4‐H Food & Nutrition

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

 

Participation. Participants must be 4-H members currently enrolled in a Texas 4-H Youth Development County program and actively participating in the Food and Nutrition project.

Age. Age divisions are determined by a participant’s age/grade as of August 31 of the current 4-H year.

 

Junior Division:  3rd grade – 5th grade

Intermediate Division:  6th grade – 8th grade

Senior Division:  9th grade -12th grade

 

Contest Dates

Dates and Deadlines

  • County 4-H Food Challenge, Food Show and *FCH Quiz Bowl contest (*if needed) – County Extension office

Date:  Sunday, October 27th, 2024

              Deadline:  Thursday, October 17, 2024

  • 4-H Food Show, FCH Quiz Bowl, & Food Challenge

Date:  Will take place the week of December 2 at the  Hill Country Youth Event Center, 3785 State Hwy 27, Kerrville

 

Tuesday, October 15th  : COUNTY 4-H Food Workshop (Details Coming)

Sunday, October 27th  : COUNTY Food Show/Food Challenge/FCH Quiz Bowl tentative schedule:

  • 2 pm          Food Show
  • 3:30 pm    Food Challenge
  • 5 pm          FCH Quiz Bowl (if contest needed)
  • 6 pm          Awards

Food Show

  • Registration Deadline: Form (recipe page only) are due by October 17th  by 5 pm
  • Sunday, October 27  at the Red Barn
  • Food Show will begin at 2:00 pm

Below are the highlights of some of the changes. Please remember that these guidelines are for the state contest at Texas 4-H Roundup; county and district levels may modify these guidelines.

2023-2025 THEME: The Texas 4-H Food Show theme will stay consistent for two consecutive years. Keeping the theme for two years allows workshops, tours, etc. at the local level to be planned and offered for an extended amount of time; thus, increasing the learning and opportunities. The theme for the 2024 and 2025 state contest will be:  Cooking Through the Decades… Take a trip back in time and explore different dishes that were popular in years past! Some of our most favorite recipes and dishes were made popular in a different decade than we live in today.

For seniors that may qualify for state, please note: The state contest will continue to provide full-size stoves for use when available. Rental has been difficult in past years; therefore, if the committee cannot secure full-size stoves, smaller convection ovens and hot plates will be provided for contestants to use. Contestants will be notified prior to the contest if this equipment substitution is necessary.

CATEGORIES:

  • Appetizer – Traditionally an appetizer is a small dish or food that is eaten prior to the main course. When selecting recipes for this category, contestants should consider foods that are lower in fat, sodium, and calories to not ruin one’s appetite.
  • Main Dish –The main dish is usually the heaviest, heartiest, and most substantial dish in a meal. In a meal consisting of several courses, the main dish is served during the main course and is the featured dish of the meal. The key ingredient is usually meat or another protein food, but they may contain other foods.
  • Side Dishes – Side dishes are foods that are usually served along with a main dish or as accompaniments to the main course. Suggested dishes may include salads, cooked vegetables, cooked fruit, pasta, or rice dishes, and/or combination vegetable dishes.
  • Healthy Desserts – Healthy can still mean delicious when it comes to desserts. Dishes in this category should be served at the end of the meal or for special occasions. Contestants should modify traditional recipes with healthy substitutions and consider MyPlate and Dietary Guidelines when selecting recipes for this category.

CONTEST – 3 PART SERIES:

  • FOOD SHOW DISH PRESENTATION/INTERVIEW: Food show contestants will prepare a dish on-site at the state contest as traditionally has been done. The selection and knowledge of the dish should highlight that the contestant has learned valuable skills and knowledge related to healthy eating and chronic disease prevention. The contestant’s recipe must cost less than $10 to prepare (excluding spices and seasonings).
  • SKILL SHOWCASE: Food show contestants will showcase a skill learned in the food and nutrition project area when they bring their dish to be judged. Youth will demonstrate their knowledge of a skill assigned by judges. All materials to demonstrate this skill will be provided and judges will score the skill based on correct procedures, safety, and other pertinent information related to the skill assigned. The skill will be assigned during designated judging time for each contestant and not prior.
  • KNOWLEDGE SHOWCASE: Food show contestants will test their knowledge on food preparation, food safety, kitchen safety, and general nutrition knowledge in the quiz section of the food show. Contestants will be given a 10-question quiz which will contain multiple choice and true/false questions. No study materials will be provided; however, contestants should refer to the Texas 4-H Food & Nutrition page (https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/projects/food-nutrition/ ) for potential resources.
  • Juniors will continue to compete in the Food Show as they have in the past and will only be interviewed by the judges
  • Intermediates will have the Interview and the Skills Showcase
  • Seniors will participate in all 3 components of the contest as listed in the Texas 4-H Food Show Guidelines

 SCORING PROCEDURES: To better gauge the skills of the contestant, the following scoring systems will be utilized. Total scores will be tallied from Presentation & Preparation scorecards as well as the Knowledge Showcase Quiz for a total of 125 possible points.

 

  • Preparation Judging. Contestants will be judged while preparing their dish in the kitchen area. This judging process will focus on food safety, equipment safety, proper cooking techniques, and sanitation around cooking area during and after preparation.
  • Presentation Judging. Contestants will be interviewed following completion of their assigned food preparation facility time. Components of the interview will be related to the dish prepared. Additionally, the Skill Showcase portion of the Food Show will occur at the presentation table and scored accordingly.
  • Knowledge Showcase Quiz: Contestants will be given a 10-question quiz which will contain multiple choice and true/false questions. Each question will be worth 1 point. Scores from this quiz will be included in the tabulation spreadsheet for the total score.

INGREDIENTS: No alcohol or alcohol-containing ingredients can be used.

2024-2025 District 10 Food Show Guidelines for All Ages – Coming Soon

Food Show Resources

Junior Food Show Score Sheet

Intermediate Food Show Score Sheet

Senior Food Show Score Card

4-H Food Show Forms

Click below to find forms for food show

Food Show paper work – due October 17th

Junior & Intermediate sample questions

Food Show – Recipe Example

Texas 4-H Food Show Resources

Food Challenge: ($5 a person entry fee)

  • Registration Deadline: October 17th by 5 pm
  • Sunday, October 27th  at Red Barn, 390 Cordova Rd, Seguin, TX 78155
  • Food Challenge will begin at 3:30 pm

Food Challenge Team Entry Form

Food Challenge team entries with team member names, team name and coaches names need to be emailed to Brittany Brown (Brittany.brown@ag.tamu.edu) by 5 p.m. on October 17th by 5 pm.

 

CHANGES TO  CONTEST FOR 23-24

  • Supply Boxes:
    ▷ Added to Supply Box List: Bench Scraper, Meat Tenderizer, and Rolling Pin
    • Judging Time Changes:
    ▷ Judges will now be allowed 4 minutes to write comments for each team

CATEGORIES: There will be four food categories in each age division. The categories for this year are Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish, and Healthy Dessert.

 GROCERY STORE VERSUS PANTRY:

  • Grocery Store – Teams will have access to a “grocery store” of additional ingredients which can be “purchased” and combined with the team’s “key” ingredient to create an original recipe/dish during the contest. The “grocery store” will include items commonly found in grocery stores such as produce, canned goods, crackers, dairy products, etc. teams will be given a limit of how many items they can use.  No cost will be calculated.
  • Pantry – Senior teams will provide their own “pantry” items within their equipment box. Only those items listed in the equipment box list may be included in the team’s “pantry.” See below for that list.
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Oils (up to 17 oz)
    • 1 jar chicken bouillon
    • 1 medium onion
    • 2 cans vegetables and/or fruit (up to 16 oz) – team choice
    • Rice (white or brown) or pasta (up to 16 oz) –team choice
    • Up to 1lb cornstarch OR flour

EQUIPMENT BOX: List is attached for each age group – be sure you are using the right one for the age of your team (Junior/Intermediate/Senior).  Seniors will follow state rules when they are released. Supply boxes are limited to the following dimensions: 40” x 24” X 40”.

 

Guadalupe County fee schedule:

 Kits will be checked out on a first come, first serve bases. 

$50 deposit required to check out a food challenge kit.  If the kit comes back with all the cookware, bowls, knives, etc. in it, we will refund you $50.  Teams will need to pay their county entry fee of $5 a person by the deadline.

  • The kit must be checked by either Matt, Dru or Brittany when returned for you to be eligible for the refund.
  • We will NOT be providing extra paper towels, trash bags, Ziploc bags, disposable spoons, sanitizing wipes, Band-Aids, hand sanitizer (anything disposable) after kit it checked out.
  • Senior teams will need to provide their own pantry items and take them out before returning the kit.
  • Any changes in the kits (items added to the list) will need to be provided by the team – we will not be adding additional items (i.e., knives, cutting boards, bowls). You are welcome to add those items and then remove them prior to returning the kit.

Major Stock Show – use of Food Challenge kits

  • All youth participating in the San Antonio Stock Show or other major show Food Challenge contests will be required to pay the $50 deposit to check out a Food Challenge kit if they wish to use one of the county kits. You will get your money back when the kit is returned completely stocked with everything on the supply box list.  The kit must be checked by either Matt or Brittany when returned for you to be eligible for the refund.

Food Challenge Resources

Contest Materials: Each team will be provided with a set of printed resources. Resources will include
MyPlate Mini-Poster, Fight Bac – Fight Food Borne Bacteria Brochure, Know Your Nutrients, and Food
Safety Fact Sheet. No other resource materials will be allowed. Teams may not use their personal copies
of the resources during the contest.

Additionally, each age division will be provided:

• Juniors – will receive 3-4 ingredients with assigned category, nutritional information, and coupons to receive items from the grocery store.
• Intermediates – will receive 1-2 ingredients with assigned category and coupons to receive items from the grocery store.
• Seniors – will receive a sheet with an assigned category, one “key” food item, and coupons to receive items from the grocery store.

 

 

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