MANSFIELD, PA – Mansfield University’s Student Dietetic Association hosted local Girl Scouts for an event in the Food Science Lab on campus earlier in the spring semester. The goal of this event was to allow the Girl Scouts to earn their Cultural Nutrition badge by working with the students.
To fulfill the requirements for the badge, the Girl Scouts needed to help make dishes that fit four categories: a dish that makes a statement, a dish from another country, a dish from another region of the U.S., and a dish from another time period. Students put together a menu for the event which included crispy buffalo tofu for the statement dish, Sheppard’s pie as the dish from another country, Tex-Mex nacho bake as a dish from another region, and Great Depression cake as the dish from another time period.
After this event was over, the Girl Scouts learned proper food-handling and measuring techniques from the students of the SDA. The girls also were able to experience preparing and consuming foods that they may have been unfamiliar with. The students gave each station a recipe sheet, which allowed the Girl Scouts to read about their dish and follow the instructions to make the dish with the SDA members standing by for guidance.
While waiting for the food to cook, the students prepared a Jeopardy game for the Girl Scouts that had various topics relating to nutrition like MyPlate. Playing this game allowed for everyone to have fun with each other while providing nutrition education to the Girl Scouts; this game went over very well with the students and the Girl Scouts and was a great way to pass time before the food was ready.
Overall, the students of the SDA and the Girl Scout Troop enjoyed the badge earning event, the food that was prepared, and the educational information through the Jeopardy game.