Super Star Chef Camp comes to Clay County

CLAY COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Have you ever wanted to be a chef? Master your cooking skills? That is exactly what took place Thursday at the Super Star Chef Cooking Camp.

Youth ages 9-12 were taught to master chopping, kneading, dicing and whipping all while making healthy alternatives to their favorite foods.

"We teach them nutrition facts and how to read their nutrition labels," said Morgan Cornelius, Team Leader for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). "We still teach them that they are children and they're growing, they don't really need to worry about calories. But we just want them to be aware of what they're eating and what's in their foods."

Each day they have made different dishes. Thursday's menu consisted of whole wheat vegetable pizza, fiesta dip, and carrot muffins. These were all made from scratch, making sure they knew exactly what ingredients were going into their bodies and why it was a healthier choice.

Grantley Preece, Super Star Chef team member, is a dietetic major at the University of Kentucky.

"I think when kids are that young that's when they absorb like all of their knowledge and things as they're growing. So its the biggest impact to start young teaching them healthier ways to eat, how to cook as they grow and develop," he said.

Coordinator for the event, Lora Howard, says the program is a very worthwhile program to offer to the youth in Clay County.

"They come and they provide researched-based information related to nutrition, food science, cooking, and proper utensil skills that the children will be able to use for the rest of their lives," she said.

The program was free for any Clay County student.
