A briefing for the Boy Scouts Cooking Merit Badge.

1. Cooking Merit Badge

2. Requirements: Foundational Principles
1. Safety
a) Managing hazards
b) First aid
c) Food management and cross
contamination
d) Food-related illnesses
e) Food allergies, intolerance, diseases
2. Nutrition
a) MyPlate nutrition model
b) Sugars and oils
c) Activity level and calories
d) Your eating habits
3. Understanding what’s in food
a) Important terms
b) Reading labels for ingredients,
allergens
4. Cooking methods
a) Methods and equipment
b) Stove vs. fire
c) Cooking in the outdoors

3. Requirements: Planning and Doing
• Follow this pattern …
a) Create plan
a) Quantities, shopping list, budget, methods,
equipment, timing
b) Cook and eat!
c) Evaluate presentation, taste
d) Discuss food management safety,
scenario specifics
• … For …
5. 3 days of meals for you + adult
6. Patrol outdoor camping trip
menu (5 meals, 1 dessert)
7. Patrol trail trip menu for 1 day
8. Learn about 3 careers in
cooking

4. Safety
Requirement 1

5. All I’m Doing Is Cooking.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
• Fire, burns, scalds
• Sharps & pointy things
• Slips & falls
• Mechanical
• Spreading illness
• Allergies & food intolerance
Hazard: a situation that
poses a level of threat to
life, health, property, or
environment.
You are more likely to hurt or be hurt by someone else than you are to hurt yourself.

6. Top 10 Kitchen Hazards*
1. Playing with fire
2. Contact burns
3. Food burns
4. Spills lead to spills
5. Watch your step
6. Clutter hurts
7. Knives
8. Feel the burn: hot
peppers
9. Death to pathogens
10.Beware the bagel!
* http://www.mnn.com/family/protection-safety/stories/10-kitchen-dangers-and-how-to-avoid-them

7. Tips for Fires, Burns, Scalds
• Tips
– Focus
– Stay near cooking
– Keep cook surfaces,
objects stable
– Call for help
– Be mindful of others
– Clean along the way
• First aid
– Remove from heat
– Cool*
– Cover*
– Get medical help
* 3rd degree burns require
special procedures

8. Knife Safety Tips
• Focus
• Use a cutting board
– Not your hand!
• Use sharp knives
• Use the right knife
for the job
• Keep handles clean
• Clean & store knives
properly ASAP

9. Spreading Illness
• Salmonella (bacteria): diarrhea, fever, and cramps; lasts 4 – 7 days; starts 12 – 72 hours;
poultry, eggs, fish, unpasteurized dairy
• Staphylococcal aureus (bacteria): produce toxins; nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea;
lasts 1 – 4 days; starts ~0.5 – 6 hours; human hands, nose
• Escherichia coli (bacteria): severe diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting; lasts 5 – 10
days; starts 1 – 7 days; meat, vegetables, fruit, unpasteurized dairy
• Clostridium botulinum (bacteria): produces toxins that can result in paralysis (starting
at the head and moving down), death; lasts 1 – 10 days .. years; starts 12 – 72 hours;
• Campylobacter jejuni (bacteria): diarrhea, cramps, fever, vomiting; lasts 2 – 10 days;
starts 2 – 5 days; poultry, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water; most common form
of food poisoning, usually not in groups
• Hepatitis (virus): diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, fever, headache, nausea, liver failure;
lasts 0.5 – 3 months; starts 15 – 50 days; shellfish, contaminated water, raw produce, food
handler
• Listeria monocytogenes: fever, stiff neck, confusion, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea;
lasts 1 – 4 weeks; starts 3 – 70 days; soil, water, some animals, poultry, raw milk, meats
(from processing plants: esp. deli, hotdogs); grows in refrigerator
• Cryptosporidium (parasite): severe watery diarrhea, cramping, fatigue, fever, nausea;
lasts 1 – 2 weeks; starts 2 – 10 days; mammal intestines and feces, or contaminated water
• Norovirus (family of viruses): inflammation of stomach and intestines, severe vomiting,
diarrhea, cramping, fever; lasts 2 – 5 days; starts hours – days; highly contagious before
symptoms begin through contact (skin, clothing, or other common surfaces), cross-
contamination through food, aerosolized vomit
Prevention:
• Wash hands
• Cook food
• No cross-contamination
• Immunization
• Good food management
• Know where your food comes from

10. Allergies & Food Intolerance
• Allergies: immune
system (over-)reacts
• Food intolerance:
cannot digest
components
• Common severe food
allergies: nuts, eggs,
dairy, shellfish
• Common food
intolerance: gluten
(celiac disease),
lactose
• Prevention
– Avoidance
– Meticulous food
management
• First aid
– Remove threat
– Manage symptoms
– Allergy medication
(antihistamines, Benadryl)
– Epinephrine
– Call 911 -> Get to ER!

11. Anaphylaxis
Shelly LeGere “has made it her mission to equip first
responder emergency vehicles, schools and as many other
public settings as possible with epinephrine auto-injectors,
such as the best-known brand, EpiPens. If administered
within minutes, they can successfully treat severe allergic
reactions — and save lives.” -- Chicago Tribune, 12/26/15
• Life-threatening condition
• Sudden onset and relapse
of severe conditions
• Epinephrine counteracts
symptoms of anaphylaxis
• Emergency medical help is
critical

12. Discussion
• What hazards are possible?
• How would you prevent these hazards? First aid?
• How do you manage: meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fresh
vegetables? Why?
• What can you do to prevent food-related illnesses?
• What should you do about food allergies and intolerance?

13. Nutrition
Requirement 2
“Let food be your medicine,
and medicine be your food”
~ Hippocrates

14. What/When/Why do you eat what you eat?
Common Themes
• Availability
• Cravings
• Taste
• Easiest
• Cost
Better Themes
• Hunger
• Nutrition
• Balance
• In season
• Colorful
• Local

15. What the Lord has said about food and diet?
• The Word of Wisdom
– Don’t’s
• Strong drinks – Alcoholic drinks
• Hot drinks – Tea and coffee
• Tobacco
• Narcotics – addictive substances
– Do’s
• Grain, fruits, vegetables, herbs are primary
source of nourishment
• Meat is to be used sparingly
– Blessings
• Health, strength, endurance
• Wisdom
• Knowledge
• Destroying angel show pass by and not slay
• D&C 59: 17 – 20
17. Yea, and the herb, and the good things
which come of the earth, whether for
food or for raiment, or for houses, or for
barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or
for vineyards;
18. Yea, all things which come of the
earth, in the season thereof, are made
for the benefit and the use of man, both
to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19. Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste
and for smell, to strengthen the body
and to enliven the soul.
20. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all
these things unto man; for unto this end
were they made to be used, with
judgment, not to excess, neither by
extortion.

16. Word of Wisdom: D&C 89: 10 -21
10. And again, verily I say unto you, all
wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the
constitution, nature, and use of man—
11. Every herb in the season thereof, and every
fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used
with prudence and thanksgiving.
12. Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of
the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of
man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are
to be used sparingly;
13. And it is pleasing unto me that they should
not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold,
or famine.
14. All grain is ordained for the use of man and
of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for
man but for the beasts of the field, and the
fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run
or creep on the earth;
15. And these hath God made for the use of man
only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16. All grain is good for the food of man; as also
the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit,
whether in the ground or above the ground—
17. Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the
ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls
and for swine, and for all beasts of the field,
and barley for all useful animals, and for mild
drinks, as also other grain.
18. And all saints who remember to keep and do
these sayings, walking in obedience to the
commandments, shall receive health in their
navel and marrow to their bones;
19. And shall find wisdom and great treasures of
knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20. And shall run and not be weary, and shall
walk and not faint.
21. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise,
that the destroying angel shall pass by
them, as the children of Israel, and not slay
them. Amen.

17. MyPlate Good Guide by USDA
• Tips for teen guys
1. Get over the idea of magic foods. Eat whole,
raw foods. You need lots of protein.
2. Always hungry? Choose whole grains,
proteins, fruits & veggies.
3. Drink lots of water. It’s easy to confuse thirst
for hunger. Skip sodas. Use juices sparingly.
4. Make a list of favorite nutritious foods
5. Start cooking often. Learn not to snack.
6. Skip foods that add unwanted pounds
7. Learn how much food you really need
8. Check nutrition facts labels
9. Strengthen your muscles and learn to have
fun being active
10. Fill your plate like MyPlate

18. Naturopathic Food Guide
• Let your food be your
medicine
• Let your medicine be
your food
• Focus on
– Fresh
– Whole
– Raw
– Variety

19. What’s in food
• Calories = Energy
– Carbohydrates (sugars,
starches)
– Fats
– Proteins
• Nutrition = the things you
need for your body to work
right and be healthy
– Building blocks (protein, fats)
– Vitamins & Minerals
– Phytonutrients (from plants)
– Fiber
• You need food to…
– Move, think
– Grow, build, regenerate body
• Muscle, bones, organs, brain, blood,
teeth, hair, etc.
– Body functions to work
• Enzymes
• Hormones
• Metabolism
• Immune system
• Thinking,
memory
• Mood
• Mental health
• Sleep
• Sight
• Cleansing
• Healing

20. How many calories do I need?
Lifestyle Calories for boys 12- 13 (14 - 18)
Sedentary
Light activity
1800 – 2000 (2000 - 2400)
Moderately Active
Walk 1.5 – 3 miles a day
2000 – 2200 (2400 – 2800)
Active
Walk or run 3+ miles a day
2400 – 2600 (2800 – 3200)
Athletes
Long, intense workouts
2000 – 5000, depending on the
sport, activity level, duration

21. What happens if I get …?
… too many calories
• From carbs and fat: store as
fat (~3500 cal/lb)
• From proteins: ammonia
will build up (toxic)
• Key long-term problems
– Obesity … other problems
– Diabetes … other problems
– Liver failure
… too few calories
• Body takes energy out of storage
– Fat
– Muscle
– Blood
• Key long-term problems
– Feast-or-famine syndrome
– Body functions begin to shutdown
– Mental health challenges

22. How do I get enough nutrients?
• Word of Wisdom diet
• Lots of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the season thereof; whole grains
• Colorful fruits and vegetables advertise vitamins and minerals
– Dark green – chlorophyll often means an abundance of minerals like iron, potassium,
calcium, magnesium; vitamin K, folate
– Blue/Purple – flavonoids (anti-{allergic, inflammatory, oxidant, microbial, cancer,
diarrheal); good for cardiovascular and nervous systems
• Berries, eggplant, stone fruits (esp. plums), pomegranates, citrus, apples, sweet potatoes,
strawberries,
– Yellow/Orange/Red – beta-carotene (body makes this into Vitamin A for skin, mucus
membranes, immune system, eye sight); antioxidant
• Carrots, apricots, asparagus, grapefruit, dandelion, herbs, peppers, pumpkin
– Red/Pink – lycopene (anti-oxidant, slows aging
• Tomatoes, watermelon, carrots, papaya, grapefruit
– Off-white – sulfur-containing (antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, keeps pests away)
• Garlic, onions

23. Discussion
• Describe what you’ve eaten today or yesterday. Does it
follow the Word of Wisdom? MyPlate guidelines?
• Is your caloric intake a good fit for your activity level?
• Describe the long-term consequences of your current eating
habits.
• Describe a balanced meal plan for a day.
• How can you improve your diet? Do you want to? Why?

24. Understanding what’s in
food
Requirement 3

25. • Calories – total energy per serving
• Fat: (<70 g) Source of energy, some essential building materials (e.g., for
the brain)
– Unsaturated fat: from plants and fish
– Saturated fat: from animals, dairy
– Trans fat: from factories – they melt and feel nice in the mouth, but they
contribute to heart problems. Avoid “hydrogenated oils”.
• Cholesterol: (200 – 300 mg). Increases plaque, possibly clogging blood
vessels. But, needed for hormones. Favor sources from plants, fish.
• Sodium: (1500 mg =~ ½ tsp) Hardens blood vessels, increases blood
pressure. Too much hurts bones and kidneys. Improves taste,
preservative.
• Carbohydrate: (300 g) Source of energy and roughage. Fiber is good.
Sugar is not.
– Dietary fiber: More is better for. Insoluble fiber is good for happy, healthy
bowels. Soluble fiber is good for cardiovascular system.
– Sugar: You don’t need sugar to live. The best sugars are natural (i.e., from
whole plants) and not stripped of value and then added back in. Avoid high-
fructose corn syrup.
• Protein: (50 – 70 g) Source of amino acids, building blocks of life. Source
of energy.
Reading a Label for
Nutrition Facts

26. Reading a Label for
Ingredients & Allergies
• Ingredients in descending order by
volume
– Parentheses show sub-components
• Bolded text highlights allergens
– “Contains” vs.
“Made on shared equipment with”
– Allergens can come with many names:
https://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=133

27. Exercise
• How many servings?
• How many calories?
• Who should not eat this?

28. Cooking Methods
Requirement 4

29. Baking
• “a method of cooking food that uses prolonged dry heat,
normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones.”
– Wikipedia

30. Boiling
• “Foods suitable for boiling include vegetables, starchy foods such as rice, noodles and
potatoes, eggs, meats, sauces, stocks and soups. As a cooking method it is simple and
suitable for large scale cookery. Tough meats or poultry can be given a long, slow cooking
and a nutritious stock is produced. Disadvantages include loss of water-soluble vitamins
and minerals. Commercially prepared foodstuffs are sometimes packed in polythene
sachets and sold as ‘boil-in-the-bag’ products.” -- Wikipedia

31. Simmering
• “foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water[1] (which is
100 °C or 212 °F at average sea level air pressure), but higher than poaching temperature.
To keep a pot simmering, one brings it to a boil and then reduces the heat to a point
where the formation of bubbles has almost ceased, typically a water temperature of
about 94 °C (200 °F) at sea level.” -- Wikipedia

32. Steaming
• “a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen
appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a
wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking have been found dating
back about 10,000 years. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique that can be
used for many kinds of food.” – Wikipedia

33. Pan Frying
• “a form of frying characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat (compared to shallow
frying or deep frying); typically using just enough oil to lubricate the pan. In the case of a
greasy food such as bacon, no oil or fats may be needed. As a form of frying, pan frying relies
on oil as the heat transfer medium and on correct temperature and time to retain the
moisture in the food. Because of the partial coverage, the food must be flipped at least once to
cook both sides.” -- Wikipedia

34. Grilling
• “involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly
from above or below.” – Wikipedia

35. Microwaving
• “Rapid heating by passing high frequency waves from a magnetron through the food or liquid
to be heated. Water absorbs the microwaves very well, so food with a high water content cooks
more rapidly; fat absorbs the energy more slowly, so foods consisting of mixtures of fat and
water cook unevenly. The cooking time is short and microwaves do not cause browning, so the
food may not develop flavours associated with longer cooking times.” -- Encyclopedia.com

36. Other Methods
• Poaching … less heat than simmering, at about 160 – 180 F
– Good for delicate foods, like eggs, fish, and tender meats
• Pressure cooking … steaming, but keeping the pressure
retained in a tightly engineered dish (a pressure cooker)
– 10 – 20 times faster than boiling or steaming!
– Keeps more of the nutrients in the food
• Common in eastern & southern Asian cooking, respectively

37. Discussion
• Can you describe each method, the equipment, and a food
that can be cooked with that method?
• On a camp outing, what are the pros and cons of using a
camp stove vs. a charcoal or wood fire?
• How do the Outdoor Code and No-Trace principles relate to
cooking outdoors?

38. Planning and Doing
Requirements 5 – 7

39. Planning
• Menu
– Target menu
– Shopping list, quantities
– Budget
• Approach
– Cooking method
– Equipment needed
– Safety considerations
– Timing

40. Make It Good!
• Prepare it
• Eat It
• Evaluate it
– Taste
– Presentation

41. At Home For You + 1 (Parent)
• Plan for 2 people
– 9 meals
• 3 each of {breakfast, lunch,
dinner}
• MyPlate guidelines
– 1 dessert
• Cook 3 meals; clean up
– 1 each {breakfast, lunch, dinner,
dessert)
• Use 5 of 7 methods
– Evaluate
• Show plan, evaluations
• Examples
– Fried eggs, toast, fruit juice
– Grilled hamburger, steamed
corn on the cob, smoothie
– Bread, pasta, marinara sauce
with meat balls, salad
– Cheesecake

42. Patrol Camping Trip or Outdoor Activity
• Plan for 3-8 people to eat
– 5 meals + (snack or dessert)
– MyPlate guidelines
• Cook 3; clean up*
– 2 light-weight stove or low-
impact fire, different methods
– 1 Dutch oven or foil pack or
kabobs
• Evaluate taste & presentation
• Examples
– Indian curries in pouches,
naan bread, oatmeal
– Scrambled eggs, pancakes,
fruit juice
– Steak, potatoes, carrots
– Mountain man breakfast
(sausage, hashbrowns,
onions, peppers, cheese)
* The actual cooking doesn’t have to be on a camping trip or the same activity. It MUST be outdoors.

43. Patrol Trail Trip*
• Plan for 3-5 people to eat on the
trail*
– 3 meals + snack
– MyPlate guidelines
– No refrigeration
– Minimize bulk, weight, trash
• Cook 2 + snack; clean up
• Evaluate taste & presentation
• Examples
– Oatmeal/granola with dried
fruit
– Grits
– Fruity couscous
– MREs
– Indian curries
– Rice-a-roni
– Pasta
– Biscuits
– Soup bowls
* The actual cooking MUST be on a trail. It doesn’t have to be an overnighter.

44. Careers
Requirement 8

45. Chef in a 5-Star Hotel
• What they do: Oversee the daily food preparation. They
direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.
They develop innovative recipes.
• Salary: $92,000
• Education: certificate in culinary arts (½ – 2 years)
• Experience: 10,000 hours (or more) of innovative chef work

46. Sushi or Hibachi Chef
• What they do: make sushi!
– Sushi Chef: make sushi rice, prepare various
forms (sushi, sashimi, nigiri, futomaki, rolls, etc.),
sauces, knives
– Hibachi Chef: cook and perform
• Education: certificate from a sushi or hibachi chef academy.
Used to be available only in Japan, but now there are some
in the US. 3 – 12 months.
• Salary
– Sushi: $30,000 – 90,000
– Hibachi: $45,000 - $150,000

47. Dietician
• What they do: help people eat better and feel better.
• Education: Bachelors or masters degree in nutrition or food
science
• Experience: know how to cook, enjoying food and knowing
how to share that love
• Key skills: creativity, determination, communication
• Salary: $40,000 - $60,000+

48. Baker
• What they do: mix ingredients and bake breads, pastries,
and other baked goods
• Education: High school or associates degree, culinary
certificate is helpful; on-the-job training
• Experience: baking, following recipes, (in factories) operate
machinery
• Salary: $20,000 - $30,000+

49. Taste Tester
• What they do: taste foods and report on the experience to
support recipe development
• Education: high school diploma
• Experience: none
• Skills: no food allergies; willing to eat anything (pet food?);
able to correctly identify tastes, aromas; able to articulate
experience
• Salary: $15/hr part time - $30,000 year for human food
– $34,000 - $117,000 for pet food taster