Healthy Living in Williamson
Kristin DeBoard has been working hard to encourage healthy eating and cooking skills in Williamson, for kids and adults alike. Since 2018, she’s been teaching Jr. Chef cooking classes, in which kids learn to make healthy versions of everything from biscuits and gravy to pepperoni rolls. These classes have occurred once a month since she started, but last summer, Kristin and other parents saw a lack of summer activities for kids in the region, which led to her idea for Jr. Chef Mini Camps.
Mixing Education and Cooking to Make...Fun!
“Parents complain of lack of activities other than sports and affordability for activities that are close to the area,” She says, noting that similar camps happen in Charleston, WV for $250 a week. Last year, she began looking at cooking programs in similar places that had been successful, and she put together a basic format based on that, “mixed with some fun of course.”
Kristin describes the camps as being “part education and part cooking and a lot of fun.” The Mini Camps will occur in 2 different locations on various dates throughout July. The first camp will be on July 15th in Lenore, and more camps will be from the 17th-19th in Williamson. On the 31st, a third camp will take place in Gilbert.
Learning the Basics
Kids will learn the basics of cooking: measurements and terminology, and then apply their new knowledge to cooking meals for themselves. Each day will cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A quiche, falafel with Greek sauce, and a garden pasta. Kristin picked these dishes by looking for unconventional recipes with plenty of fresh vegetables. She wanted to show the kids “things they may not otherwise be exposed to or hear of.”
In the fall, monthly Jr. Chef classes will resume. She chose to do camps in the summer to better occupy the kids’ free time, instead of a two-hour class once a month. Those interested in learning more about the Jr. Chef Mini Camps can visit their Facebook page.. To read more about the Jr. Chef cooking classes visit here and here.