PA Ideas for 4-H Food Demonstrations4-H Foods and Nutrition Presentation Ideas for the Pennsylvania Foods and Nutrition Project Series Note: These are just a few of the possible topics that may be selected by 4-H members to give foods project demonstrations, illustrated talks, and speeches. I have also included some of the better recipes for foods demonstrations, but a 4-H member may choose other recipes in the project or their own. The recipe, however, should serve as a way to present other types of information to the audience and most of the time should not be the sole reason to give a presentation. The titles I have listed here may need to be more creative, particularly in judging situations. Encourage your 4-H members to create a title that not only explains what is going to be talked about, but does it in an interesting way. You'll note that some of the topics are more advanced than others. Allow the 4-H member to choose something that they know something about, that is within their skill level, and that they enjoy doing even if it seems very easy. The topics are listed in the order they appear in the project book. Year 1: Foods for Someone Special Measuring dry and liquid ingredients Coring an apple Grating a carrot Fixing a snack Cutting with a knife Super apple sandwich Bugs on a log Easy steps to dishwashing Servings and serving sizes of the fruit group Servings and serving sizes of the vegetable group Selecting good quality fruits and vegetables Mixer safety Using a can opener Tuna dip Citrus Twists Would you know a dark green or deep fruit or vegetable if you saw one? Breads and cereals come in different shapes and sizes Servings and serving sizes of the bread, cereal, and pasta group Oven and cooling rack safety Basic muffins Servings and serving sizes of the milk group Cooktop safety Breaking and checking an egg Making fluid milk from non-fat dry powder Egg safety Draining fat from meat Pat a Pizza Guru's Goblet and Orange Caesar as fruit drinks Exhibiting your product at a fair or round-up Using a potholder Year 2: Foods for Special Treats Cooking vegetables to save vitamins and minerals A Bunny Treat A serving size of vegetables A serving size of fruits Roasting pumpkin seeds Shake a strawberry float Butterscotch Pudding Hole in One Treat Deviled Eggs Taking the temperature of a refrigerator and oven Tacos! Making a sandwich Table Manners Cooking rice Cooking pasta Year 3: Foods for Special Occasions Buying and preparing apples Apple crisp Cutting in sugar and fat (using knives and/or a pastry blender) Using potholders Vitamin C fruits and Vegetables Versatile fillings (for cream puffs, sandwiches, etc.) Making a table centerpiece or accessory Putting together a picnic Picnic safety Making a homemade cooler A one-pot meal Quick gingerbread Lemonade How to get as much juice as you can from a lemon Reading a label Setting the table Popcorn treats Pumpkin bread Metric measurements Year 4: Foods for Better Appearance Keeping an activity chart Making a parfait (punch or shake) Servings of the milk group Making vanilla cream pudding Milk drinks Digestion Making a white sauce Packing a lunch Making a tossed salad Pasta cookery Year 5: Foods in Better Time Making your own mixes Making price comparisons (Unit Pricing) Create your own casserole Complete and incomplete proteins How to keep pasta from boiling over How to test pasta for doneness Stir-fry! Preparing vegetables for stir-frying Our food from farm to table Microwave Cooking Sell by, Use by, and Expiration Dates Beating eggs Making an omelet Freezing muffins How to knead bread (biscuits) Unit price decisions Baked apples Baked potatoes Dehydrating and rehydrating foods Making pie Project 6: Foods for Better Results Kneading dough Preparing a backyard cookout Kabobs Be a food detective--label reading Preparing salt substitutes Nutrients and drugs Creating a main dish salad Judging food products Flavor Enhancers Food Advertisements Project 7: Plan an outdoor cooking menu Building a fire Putting a fire out A test for fire temperature Purifying water Making a food aid (hobo stove, etc.) Vitamin A foods Vitamin C foods A walking salad Hidden sources of fat in foods Equipment for pocketknife cooking Cutting a fish fillet and fish steaks Wrapping food in foil Preventing steam burns Basic hamburger mix Project 8: Planning an international menu Similar foods from all over the world Keeping your food safe Buying Cutting pineapple Meat inspection seals (Any number of ethnic dishes and traditions may be incorporated into a presentation). Project 9: How to cut-up a chicken Beef cuts Substitutions Can sizes Common equivalents Time saving and energy tips Planned Leftovers Meatless Menus Napkin Folding Project 10: Food Preservation topics and equipment
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Updated 8/15/05
