4-H National Food Challenge

The National 4-H Food Challenge not only includes a contest, but also incorporates an educational day with fun and engaging activities. Each team member receives State Fair of Texas admission as part of the entrance fee for the contest. The National 4-H Food Challenge is a contest that allows 4-H members to demonstrate their culinary knowledge and skills. Teams are randomly assigned to a contest category (protein, fruit and vegetable, grains or dairy) and provided with a set of ingredients that are representative of that category. Using only the ingredients provided, teams develop a recipe and prepare the dish within 40 minutes. Teams then make a presentation to a judging panel, explaining the preparation steps, serving size, food safety concerns, nutritional value and cost of the dish.