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Scout Tenderfoot 2nd Class 1st Class Star Life Eagle

Cooking Merit Badge

All Merit Badges

January, 2020

Requirements for the Cooking merit badge:

Health and safety. Do the following:
1. Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter while participating in cooking activities and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, and respond to these hazards.
2. Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent injuries or illnesses that could occur while preparing meals and eating, including burns and scalds, cuts, choking, and allergic reactions.
3. Describe how meat, fish, chicken, eggs, dairy products, and fresh vegetables should be stored, transported, and properly prepared for cooking. Explain how to prevent cross-contamination.
4. Discuss with your counselor food allergies, food intolerance, and food-related illnesses and diseases. Explain why someone who handles or prepares food needs to be aware of these concerns.
5. Discuss with your counselor why reading food labels is important. Explain how to identify common allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, and shellfish.
Nutrition. Do the following:
1. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, give five examples for EACH of the following food groups, the recommended number of daily servings, and the recommended serving size:
  1. Fruits
  2. Vegetables
  3. Grains
  4. Proteins
  5. Dairy
2. Explain why you should limit your intake of oils and sugars.
3. Determine your daily level of activity and your caloric need based on your activity level. Then, based on the MyPlate food guide, discuss with your counselor an appropriate meal plan for yourself for one day.
4. Discuss your current eating habits with your counselor and what you can do to eat healthier, based on the MyPlate food guide.
5. Discuss the following food label terms: calorie, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugar, protein. Explain how to calculate total carbohydrates and nutritional values for two servings, based on the serving size specified on the label.
Cooking basics. Do the following:
1. Discuss EACH of the following cooking methods. For each one, describe the equipment needed, how temperature control is maintained, and name at least one food that can be cooked using that method: baking, boiling, broiling, pan frying, simmering, steaming, microwaving, grilling, foil cooking, and use of a Dutch oven.
2. Discuss the benefits of using a camp stove on an outing vs. a charcoal or wood fire.
3. Describe for your counselor how to manage your time when preparing a meal so components for each course are ready to serve at the correct time.

Note:

Cooking at home. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan menus for three full days of meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners) plus one dessert. Your menus should include enough to feed yourself and at least one adult, keeping in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) and how you keep your foods safe and free from cross-contamination. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:
1. Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.
2. Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.
3. Using at least five of the 10 cooking methods from requirement 3, prepare and serve yourself and at least one adult (parent, family member, guardian, or other responsible adult) one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one dessert from the meals you planned.*
4. Time your cooking to have each meal ready to serve at the proper time. Have an adult verify the preparation of the meal to your counselor.
5. After each meal, ask a person you served to evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how planning and preparation help ensure a successful meal.
Camp cooking. Do the following:
1. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan five meals for your patrol (or a similar size group of up to eight youth, including you) for a camping trip. Your menus should include enough food for each person, keeping in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) and how you keep your foods safe and free from cross-contamination. These five meals must include at least one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, AND at least one snack OR one dessert. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals.
2. Create a shopping list for your meals showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.
3. Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.
4. In the outdoors, using your menu plans for this requirement, cook two of the five meals you planned using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire. Use a different cooking method from requirement 3 for each meal. You must also cook a third meal using either a Dutch oven OR a foil pack OR kabobs. Serve all of these meals to your patrol or a group of youth.**
5. In the outdoors, prepare a dessert OR a snack and serve it to your patrol or a group of youth.**
6. After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, and then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how planning and preparation help ensure successful outdoor cooking.
7. Explain to your counselor how you cleaned the equipment, utensils, and the cooking site thoroughly after each meal. Explain how you properly disposed of dishwater and of all garbage.
8. Discuss how you followed the Outdoor Code and no-trace principles when preparing your meals.
Trail and backpacking meals. Do the following:
1. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for trail hiking or backpacking that includes one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one snack. These meals must not require refrigeration and are to be consumed by three to five people (including you). Be sure to keep in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) and how you will keep your foods safe and free from cross-contamination. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals.
2. Create a shopping list for your meals, showing the amount of food needed to prepare and serve each meal, and the cost for each meal.
3. Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor. Your plan must include how to repackage foods for your hike or backpacking trip to eliminate as much bulk, weight, and garbage as possible.
4. While on a trail hike or backpacking trip, prepare and serve two meals and a snack from the menu planned for this requirement. At least one of those meals must be cooked over a fire, or an approved trail stove (with proper supervision).**
5. After each meal, have those you served evaluate the meal on presentation and taste, then evaluate your own meal. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, including any adjustments that could have improved or enhanced your meals. Tell how better planning and preparation help ensure successful trail hiking or backpacking meals.
6. Discuss how you followed the Outdoor Code and no-trace principles during your outing. Explain to your counselor how you cleaned any equipment, utensils, and the cooking site after each meal. Explain how you properly disposed of any dishwater and packed out all garbage.
Food-related careers. Find out about three career opportunities in cooking. Select one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

*The meals for requirement 4 may be prepared on different days, and they need not be prepared consecutively. The requirement calls for Scouts to plan, prepare, and serve one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner to at least one adult; those served need not be the same for all meals.

**Where local regulations do not allow you to build a fire, the counselor may adjust the requirement to meet the law. The meals in requirements 5 and 6 may be prepared for different trips and need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts working on this badge in summer camp should take into consideration foods that can be obtained at the camp commissary.

Cooking Worksheet

All Merit Badges

Comments:
Feb 05, 2014 - Ed

So is a scout required to prepare and serve THREE or NINE meals ?? Examples: One breakfast, bacon & eggs, pancakes, milk & OJ One Lunch, Grilled Sandwiches, can creamy tomato soup, chips, water & soft drinks One Dinner: Salad, Spaghetti, garlic bread, water, milk, soft drinks

Feb 06, 2014 - Doug

Ed-The way I have interpreted that requirement is that the Scout must PLAN 9 meals but only PREPARE 3 of them; a breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm not the expert but this is what I've required as a Merit Badge Counselor.

Feb 06, 2014 - Scouter Paul

@Ed - #4a says "two dinners, one lunch, and one breakfast" - that's 4 meals. #6a says "trail breakfast and dinner" - that's 2 meals. #7d says "a breakfast, lunch, and dinner" - that's 3 meals. So, I'd say a total of 9 meals, with 3 needed to fulfill #7d.

Feb 06, 2014 - John Pratt

It sounds to me that folks are adopting the "How many cookies can I steal and still go to Heaven" approach to the new Cooking Merit Badge. Like all of the merit badges the idea is to give knowledge and to perfect a skill. Planning, prep,handling and cooking are the keys to learn. You also learn what happens if you violate any of these concepts in the injury/sickness that can result. Learn the skills and by the by prepare and cook a couple of extra meals just for good measure. Since the point of Cooking Merit Badge is to give you the skills to cook safely go the extra mile. You are not just "Passing" the badge you are preparing for the future. Lunch anyone ? :-)

Mar 16, 2014 - ScouterChris

Mar 16, 2014 - Scouter Paul

@Chris - The silver-bordered cooking merit badge emblem is available now.

Apr 15, 2014 - Darcy Didion

With the new requirements #7 is cooking on a hike. Can this be on a family hike or does it need to be done on a Troop hike?

Apr 15, 2014 - Scouter Paul

@Darcy - The requirement does not specify. The scout should discuss that with his counselor when he is completing requirement 7b to ensure it meets the counselor's expectations.

Jun 27, 2014 - LV300

This one I had to really work for to get it done. I was in a group with 5 other boys who would turn 18 in the next 2 months. (They were all born in July). I had to catch up because the counselor said he would stop counseling until next year in April and I couldn't wait that long, so it was a hard time but I got it done. I really enjoyed this one and I am glad they decided to make it Eagle Required.

Jul 28, 2014 - Carol

A number of the requirements of this merit badge seem to overlap with advancement requirements for Tenderfoot, 2nd and 1st Class, (can't remember about Star)as well as the Camping Merit Badge (ie 8d: Cook at least one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner for your patrol from the meals you have planned for requirement 8c. At least one of those meals must be a trail meal requiring the use of a lightweight stove.) Do the boys need to repeat each of these things again in order to pass the Cooking M.B. or do these count towards the Cooking M.B. as well as the CAmping (It reads almost the same as Cooking 4b except the Cooking needs one more dinner). Some of the requirements (like for the 1st class cooking requirement) seem superfluous to repeat the me thing. Are they mutually exclusive to pass off?

Jul 28, 2014 - Scouter Paul

@Carol - If the scout is working on Camping, First Class, and Cooking, and can convince his merit badge counselors that the meals he plans to use will fulfill the individual requirements, then there is no stipulation that a meal can not be counted for advancement and both merit badges. If a scout came to me for the Cooking merit badge and said, "Yeah, I cooked those meals last year for First Class", I'd tell him "Congratulations" and have him do new ones for this merit badge.

Aug 17, 2014 - Joe Davis

@Carol and @Scouter Paul - The 2014 Cooking book clearly states before requirements 5,6 and 7 that fulfillment of those requirements only count towards Cooking Merit Badge.

Aug 18, 2014 - Scouter Paul

@Joe - Thanks for that new m.b. info.

Jan 06, 2015 - HappyHitchhiker

Our troop has a cooking merit badge leader who believes the badge should take a full year to complete. I have looked over the list and cannot see why it would take that long. Should it really take that long?

Jan 06, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Happy - There are only a few merit badges that have specified lengths of time, such as Personal Fitness, and none of those are close to a year. Any other merit badge only takes as long as it takes the scout to complete all the requirements. Looks to me like a scout 'could' complete Cooking in 3 days since the meals cooked in the outdoors are the biggest part.

Feb 02, 2015 - Doug Stanley

Reading through the previous posts confirms my experiences in facilitating this merit badge. A) It is challenging to get your mind around what needs to be planned for and actually produced. For me, I developed an At-a-Glance to track each scout. B) This MB can take a great deal of time to complete depending on the Troop's and scout's involvement with camping and hiking. C)The overlap with rank advancements and Camping MB only elevates the challenge to scout and counselor. It's notable that 1st and 2nd req's were added when Cooking was removed from the Eagle req'd list but not removed when returned as a required. Doesn't change the reality... My latest question involves clarity for backpacking/hiking cooking. The req seems vague as to how many people the scout needs to cook for. It is inferred in the evaluation it would be for multiple people so that is my direction. Any other interpretations or general thoughtsare welcome!

Feb 02, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Doug - Requirement #7 says "three to five people".

Mar 18, 2015 - Holly Smith

We are trying to interpret how many meals need to be cooked for this MB. Is it: for requirement 5 - B,L,D,dessert anywhere; requirement 6 - 3 meals (various methods) + dessert or snack outside; requirement 7 - 2 meals + snack outside on trail? The Workbook makes it confusing because there are spaces for 5 meals to be evaluated under requirement 6, making it look like 5 meals need to be cooked. One of our MB counselors is saying only 1 meal needs to be cooked outdoors.

Mar 18, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Holly - #5c says "one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one dessert" - that's 3 meals. #6c says "cook two of the meals" - that's 2 meals. #6d says "cook one of the meals" - that's 1 meal. #7c says "serve two meals and a snack" - that's 2 meals. So, I'd say a total of 8 meals, 1 dessert, and 1 snack. #6c, d, and e specifically say "in the outdoors" #7c says "While on a trail hike or backpacking trip" So, I don't know how someone could interpret that to mean the meals can be cooked inside.

Mar 23, 2015 - Renee Thompson

I am returning college student and our dietetic group is putting together a program to teach and help the local troops with this merit badge. If we come up with some good ideas, I will share them.

Jun 11, 2015 - Scout Scott

Am doing this badge at camp and had printed the worksheet in April 2014. Just noticed that a calorie column was added in October 2014 to # 5, 6, & 7. I don't see where the requirements require that calories be counted. Why was it added if it isn't mentioned in the requirement page?

Jun 11, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Scott - The requirements have scouts show the amount of food needed for meals. Calories are a measure of the energy in food and that determines how much food needs to be consumed for activity level and body size. If you have a different way to determine how much food is needed, maybe your counselor will accept that.
Worksheets are not a required part of a merit badge - they are just aids that some scouts use to help with their progress.

Jun 30, 2015 - Nancy

Is #5 required to be completed at home? How can one bake or microwave?

#6 & #7 say to cook outdoors.

I have seen some summer camps say #5 has been completed since the scout cooked for the camp counselor....outside.

I have also seen summer camps who list #5 as a pre-req or post-req since it needs to be completed at home.

Jul 02, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Nancy - #5 does not specify where the requirement needs to be completed. It could be done at home, on BSA campouts, or anywhere. A person bakes in an oven of some kind and microwaves in a microwave oven.

Jul 17, 2015 - Scout

I have been on many campouts with my troop. We carry in and out all of our gear in our packs, including food. I am a patrol leader and have planned and cooked at least a dozen meals on these campouts. Would these trips count as "backpacking trips" for requirement 7? Of course, I would have to document the information about the meals.

Jul 19, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Scout - If I were your merit badge counselor, I would most likely not consider those meals since you did not do 7a, 7b, or 7e for them.
They idea of requirement 7 is to learn how to cook in remote areas for extended time. This isn't difficult cooking and mostly consists of heating water and reconstituting dried food. That is why the "no refrigeration" clause is in the requirement.

Mar 08, 2016 - Jose

Can you define "trail hike"?

Mar 10, 2016 - Scouter Paul

@Jose - Sure, "walking outside on a trail".

Jun 07, 2016 - dominic s

How many meals do I need to plan and prepare? What is the web address for MyPlate?

Jun 09, 2016 - Laban Cabrera

@Dominic S
The website for myplate is www.choosemyplate.gov

According to the CURRENT (2016) requirements you have to:
Plan 18 Meals, a dessert and a snack
Cook 7 meals plus a desserts & a snack

This is broken out as follows:
#4 Plan 10 meals (plan a menu for three full days of meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners) plus one dessert)
#4c Cook 3 meals plus a Dessert
#5d Plan 5 meals and Cook 2 meals
#6a Plan 3 meals plus a snack
#6d Cook 2 meals plus a snack

Jun 17, 2016 - dominic s

ok thanks

Mar 11, 2019 - Jeff E

With regard to requirement #5, does the phrase "or a similar size group of up to eight youth, including you" include a family outing of two adults and four youth? The wording is a little vague.

Mar 11, 2019 - Scouter Paul

@Jeff - Three places in requirement #5, the words "your patrol" and "youth" are used, so that rules out cooking with and for adults.
Requirement #4 is specifically cooking for an adult at home, #5 is for your patrol on a campout, #6 is for a backpacking crew which is probably a mix of youth and adults.

Apr 07, 2019 - Matt C

We have a small troop with 6 scouts working on Cooking merit badge. Can the six scouts work collectively to do these campout meals and backpacking trail meals - or does each scout do them individually? My problem to solve is if they need to do them individually we will need to have six or so multi-day campouts and day-long hiking trails. That will take over year to get the Scouts to do. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Apr 10, 2019 - Scouter Paul

@Matt - Taking 6 months to complete a merit badge is not uncommon.
Each scout needs to individually do the menu planning, but I have no problem with that scout distributing jobs to the patrol in preparation and clean up. The scout needs to be in charge, managing the process, and directing his helpers.

The goal is to have a scout learn to plan, prepare, and clean up after good meals for home, camp, and on trail. If one scout did Saturday meals for one campout, that is 6 months for all 6 of them to do it. The backpacking meals could be prepared on day hikes at any time, so those meals could get completed in that 6 months as well.

Each scout could make meals for 3 people, allowing 2 scouts to complete the cooking on one Saturday of a campout.

You could invite Webelos, friends of scouts, and other youth to meet your Cooking MB gang at a location on a trail to have lunch some Saturday, then dinner another day. Each scout would prepare a meal for 3 people, and they could all get done in just a couple days.

The Camping and Backpacking meals need to be planned as if being used in those activities to understand the types of food that work, but they only need to be prepared in an environment that you would experience outdoors. So, the Camp meals could be made on a day outing at a park, and the Backpacking meals could be made along a trail through that same park. Just have only tools and resources that would be available for real.

Jan 09, 2020 - ATL_MEW

Can Requirement 5a be done whilst backpacking, or does it need to be on a front-country "car camping" trip?

Jan 09, 2020 - Scouter Paul

@ATL - 5a can not be done separately from the rest of requirement 5. The menu of 5a is used for the rest of the requirement.
5d says "Use a different cooking method from requirement 3 for each meal." So, the scout needs to demonstrate 3 different ways of cooking food, and serve it, and clean up.
Requirement 6 is specifically for backpacking cooking, so that shows the intent for requirement 5 to be something else.
But, there's nothing preventing a scout from fulfilling requirement 5 while backpacking - I don't think it's logistically a good idea myself.

Jan 17, 2020 - Russell K. Adams

As a professional chef and cooking MB counselor for our troop I am looking at it as preparing them for life,the worst case scenario. Understanding food safety,temps, and proper hygiene. Who here hasn't eaten burnt chicken that was cooked through out. I believe the basic understanding is to allow them to think about minimal refrigeration and what can we plan to maximize food safety and nutrition. I don't give out this MB like candy. You will learn a whole lot when I am done with you and I will be proud that you stuck with it.

Jan 23, 2020 - Sachin B

Hello,
There are 7 sections in cooing badge. Is it a pre requisite that the cooking theory sections 1,2,3 and 7 need to be done before the practical ones 4,5,6?

Thanks,
Sachin

Jan 23, 2020 - Scouter Paul

@Sachin - There is no requirement to complete the requirements in order, but they typically make sense to progress through in order.

Aug 09, 2020 - Tom Champ

Question involves requirement 6.e. Where other evaluate your cooking on a back packing meal(s).
Scout has had number of his meals evaluated on camping trips — question involves specifically 6e., on our backpacking trip, Scouts bring, carry, and prepare their own meals. Can scout evaluate his own meal for this 6e. Since others have previously evaluated his meals on different requirements and he’s cooking for just himself or one other during backpacking. Could the one other count also as other Scouts ?

Aug 09, 2020 - Scouter Paul

@Tom - #6a specifically states "three to five people (including you)" so the meal should be prepared for, eaten by, and evaluated by at least two other scouts.

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