The Cooking merit badge introduces principles of cooking that can be used both at home or in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning, and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available.
Requirements
- Do the following:
- Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you
may encounter while participating in cooking activities and what you
should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these
hazards.
- Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent
injuries or illnesses that could occur while preparing meals and eating,
including burns and scalds, cuts, choking, and allergic reactions.
- Describe how meat, fish, chicken, eggs, dairy products,
and fresh vegetables should be stored, transported, and properly
prepared for cooking. Explain how to prevent cross-contamination.
- Describe the following food-related illnesses and tell what you can do to help prevent each from happening:
- Salmonella
- Staphylococcal aureus
- Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- Clostridium botulinum (Botulism)
- Campylobacter jejuni
- Hepatitis
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Cryptosporidium
- Norovirus
- Salmonella
- Discuss with your counselor food allergies, food intolerance, food-related diseases, and your awareness of these concerns.
- Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you
may encounter while participating in cooking activities and what you
should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these
hazards.
- Do the following:
- Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA
nutrition model, give five examples for EACH of the following food
groups, the recommended number of daily servings, and the recommended
serving size:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Grains
- Proteins
- Dairy
- Fruits
- Explain why you should limit your intake of oils and sugars.
- Determine your daily level of activity and your caloric
need based on your activity level. Then, based on the MyPlate food
guide, discuss with your counselor an appropriate meal plan for yourself
for one day.
- Discuss your current eating habits with your counselor and what you can do to eat healthier, based on the MyPlate food guide.
- Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA
nutrition model, give five examples for EACH of the following food
groups, the recommended number of daily servings, and the recommended
serving size:
- Do the following:
- Discuss the following food label terms: calorie, fat,
saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, dietary
fiber, sugar, protein. Explain how to calculate total carbohydrates and
nutritional values for two servings, based on the serving size specified
on the label.
- Refer to “How to Read a Food Label” in the Cooking merit
badge pamphlet, and name ingredients that help the consumer identify the
following allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, and
shellfish.
- Discuss the following food label terms: calorie, fat,
saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, dietary
fiber, sugar, protein. Explain how to calculate total carbohydrates and
nutritional values for two servings, based on the serving size specified
on the label.
- Do the following:
- Discuss EACH of the following cooking methods. For each
one, describe the equipment needed and name at least one food that can
be cooked using that method: baking, boiling, pan frying, simmering,
steaming, microwaving, and grilling.
- Discuss the benefits of using a camp stove on an outing vs. a charcoal or wood fire.
- Discuss how the Outdoor Code and no-trace principles pertain to cooking in the outdoors.
- Discuss EACH of the following cooking methods. For each
one, describe the equipment needed and name at least one food that can
be cooked using that method: baking, boiling, pan frying, simmering,
steaming, microwaving, and grilling.
- Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition
model, plan a menu for three full days of meals (three breakfasts, three
lunches, and three dinners) plus one dessert. Your menu should include
enough to feed yourself and at least one adult, keeping in mind any
special needs (such as food allergies) of those to be served. List the
equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do
the following:
- Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount
of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each
meal.
- Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.
- Using at least five of the seven cooking methods from requirement 4, prepare and serve yourself and at least one adult (parent, family member, guardian, or other responsible adult) one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one dessert from the meals you planned.*
- Time your cooking to have each meal ready to serve at the
proper time. Have an adult verify the preparation of the meal to your
counselor.
- After each meal, ask a person you served to evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure a successful meal.
- Explain how you kept foods safe and free from cross-contamination.
- Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount
of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each
meal.
- Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition
model, plan a menu for your patrol (or a similar size group of up to
eight youth, including you) for a camping trip. Include five meals AND
at least one snack OR one dessert. List the equipment and utensils
needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:
- Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount
of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each
meal.
- Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.
- In the outdoors, cook two of the meals you planned in
requirement 6 using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire. Use
a different cooking method for each meal.** The same fireplace may be
used for both meals. Serve this meal to your patrol or a group of youth.
- In the outdoors, cook one of the meals you planned in
requirement 6. Use either a Dutch oven, OR a foil pack, OR kabobs. Serve
this meal to your patrol or a group of youth.**
- In the outdoors, prepare a dessert OR a snack and serve it to your patrol or a group of youth.**
- After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal
on presentation and taste, and then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what
you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could
have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and
preparation help ensure successful outdoor cooking.
- Explain how you kept foods safe and free from cross contamination.
- Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount
of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each
meal.
- Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition
model, plan a menu for trail hiking or backpacking that includes one
breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one snack. These meals must not
require refrigeration and are to be consumed by three to five people
(including you). List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and
serve these meals. Then do the following:
- Create a shopping list for your meals, showing the amount
of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each
meal.
- Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor. Your plan must include how to repackage foods for your hike or backpacking trip to eliminate as much bulk, weight, and garbage as possible.
- While on a trail hike or backpacking trip, prepare and
serve two meals and a snack from the menu planned for requirement 7. At
least one of those meals must be cooked over a fire, or an approved
trail stove (with proper supervision).**
- For each meal prepared in requirement 7c, use safe
food-handling practices. Explain how you kept foods safe and free from
cross-contamination. Clean up equipment, utensils, and the site
thoroughly after each meal. Properly dispose of dishwater, and pack out
all garbage.
- After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure successful trail hiking or backpacking meals.
- Create a shopping list for your meals, showing the amount
of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each
meal.
- Find out about three career opportunities in cooking. Select one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.