Empowering Communities through Public Health Nutrition
At New Hope Elementary, the cafeteria hums with lively chatter as 16 students—ages 8 to 10—gather at their designated prep stations, each stocked with essential ingredients, utensils and brightly colored cutting boards in red, blue, yellow and green.
Nestled along the quiet, two-lane backroads of rural Orange County, NC, New Hope Elementary might seem like an unlikely setting for culinary exploration. Yet, for these students, it has become a weekly tradition. Every Tuesday, the cafeteria transforms into a hub of creativity and learning through the Carolina Hunger Initiative’s nutrition education program. Using the Cooking Matters for Kids curriculum, students not only learn how to prepare meals but also develop lifelong skills for making healthy food choices.
Now in their fifth week, students have immersed themselves in a curriculum that blends classroom learning with hands-on experience. They’ve practiced essential techniques such as knife skills and ingredient preparation while also exploring the science behind food through research and discussion. From analyzing the size, shape and color of various foods to tasting and discussing them, each session bridges theory with practice—encouraging students to apply their newfound knowledge in the kitchen.
Since 2017, UNC's SNAP-Ed Child Nutrition Project has partnered with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and Orange County Schools to provide nutrition education at three elementary schools. These schools were chosen for their high eligibility for free- and reduced-price meals, ensuring SNAP-Ed compliance. Their proximity also enabled collaboration with student interns. Led by the Carolina Hunger Initiative at UNC’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, the project has since expanded to additional locations.
Recipe week arrives with pizza and fruit salad on the menu.
The tables display an array of ingredients: peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, apples and walnuts. Alongside them, other tools – mixing bowls, tongs, graters and spatulas – await the eager hands of the young chefs. Marlee Marrotta, MPH, RD, stands at the end of a table, marking a checklist. Three student interns from the Department of Nutrition—Charlotte Rogus, Anna Feng and Aditya (Adi) Shetye—stand at their respective tables, reviewing today's lesson.
At Anna's station, whole green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, paring knives and a hot plate sit neatly organized for prepping the pizza toppings.
Anna ties each student's apron while quizzing the table about knife safety. "Can I see everyone make a claw?" Almost in unison, each student pins down an imaginary apple with their left hand while rolling the sheathed knife with their right hand. Soon, the aroma of green peppers fills the air. A once-empty, one-gallon plastic bowl fills with sliced green peppers and mushrooms.
As each student finishes prepping their stack of vegetables, they slowly begin to move to the end of the table. Anna plugs in the hotplate and holds out her arms, creating a protective boundary around the heat source. "Let's remember that there is force field of heat right here," she notes, as a reminder not to get too close.
The air soon fills again with the rich scent of sautéed peppers.
At Charlotte's table, paring knives are laid out alongside Granny Smith apples, raisins, Greek yogurt and candied walnuts, ready for making the fruit salad.
Students slip on clear sanitation gloves, oversized on their small hands. With knives in hand, they carefully halve and quarter the apple slices Charlotte placed in front of them. There’s a clear focus, some faces showing a mix of concentration and hesitation, while others work confidently, cutting through the fruit with newfound skill.
Each ingredient is then dumped into a mixing bowl where each student takes turns blending the mix of apples, raisins and yogurt. Charlotte adds the walnuts to the hotplate, the rich scent filling the air as they toast. She lets each student take a turn stirring them, while offering a quick lesson.
"Can someone tell me why we're cooking the walnuts?"
"It'll make it hot," says one student.
Charlotte nods in agreement. "That's right. And when the walnuts get hot does anyone know what happens?"
After a quiet beat and a few quizzical looks, Charlotte resumes. "When you roast nuts like this, it brings out their natural oils and makes them taste better. It also softens the nuts a bit so that it's not too crunchy in the salad."
Each station transforms into a well-organized assembly line, mirroring a professional kitchen while fostering teamwork and shared responsibility.
A significant aspect of the program's success is the involvement of UNC student interns, who gain valuable experience while assisting with the curriculum. Since 2017, more than 200 students, including many from the Gillings School, have participated in the program, helping to fine-tune the curriculum and engage young learners.
Adi's table features cheese graters, blocks of cheese, cans of tomato sauce and containers of dried basil leaves, all set for preparing the pizza base.
Adi demonstrates the grater with practiced ease, sliding a block of cheese up and down its side as neat ribbons of cheese pile up underneath. "When your block of cheese gets too small, just leave it alone. It's fine," he explains, offering a tip to keep fingers safe.
A student next to Adi stares at him in disbelief. "We won't eat it?"
Adi chuckles. "We’ll eat it, don’t worry—just stop cutting when it gets too small."
Still concerned, the student furrows their brow, glancing at the remaining piece of cheese. "Leave the rest of it? In a small piece?"
Adi smiles, patient and amused. "Yes, we’ll eat it. Nothing goes to waste." The student finally nods, satisfied that the tiny piece of cheese won’t be left behind.
As grated cheese piles onto each placemat, Adi opens two cans of tomato sauce and pours them into a mixing bowl. The students then pass the bowl around the table, taking turns mixing the spices into the sauce. Adi then demonstrates how to spoon a generous dollop of the sauce onto each halved English muffin, spreading it in even circles across the bread.
While the program’s success is often measured in smiles and empty plates, it has a broader impact, too. The Carolina Hunger Initiative addresses food insecurity – a pressing issue in Orange County, where nearly 67% of New Hope Elementary students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. By equipping children with skills to prepare healthy meals, the program helps bridge the gap for families who may struggle to access nutritious food.
Once the prep stations transform back into eating spaces, students and interns taste their creations.
The discussion allows the kids to have some fun as they agree and disagree about the taste and texture of different foods, including a resounding verdict that green peppers are not spicy.
"This is better than my mom's pizza," one student says.
"Don't tell her that," Marlee responds.
The subject of a pizza topped with Takis – the rolled corn tortilla chips – becomes the biggest and most-divisive conversation of the day among the students, with one student insisting that green Takis are made from avocados.
“Everyone, let’s take our plates to the trash and clean up our area.” Marlee directs the room.
Another rush of energy emerges as students carry their plates to a trash can near the back of the room.
As the hour wraps up, students tidy their stations, still buzzing with the excitement of new discoveries. For these young chefs, cooking has become more than just a Tuesday afternoon activity; it’s a growing tradition, one that’s fostering healthier habits and brightening futures across rural North Carolina. With plans to expand both in-person and virtual programs, the Carolina Hunger Initiative is set to make an even greater impact—empowering children and families to embrace healthier habits, one recipe at a time.
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