Cooking

Cooking merit badge requirements

• Scouts who already started Cooking MB using old requirements: They’re fine and may finish with the old requirements. They will not need to re-earn the merit badge with the new requirements, but they may switch to the new ones if they choose. There is no time limit between starting and completing a badge, although a counselor may determine so much time has passed since any effort took place that the new requirements must be used.
• Scouts who already earned Cooking MB: They may purchase or be presented with the new, silver-bordered Cooking MB patch (regardless which requirements were involved). They don’t need to re-earn it now that it’s Eagle-required. But they can’t wear both the green- and the silver-bordered versions.
• Scouts who begin Cooking MB in 2013 or 2014: They may use the old or new requirements — their choice.
• Scouts who begin Cooking MB in 2015 or beyond: They must use the new requirements.

Make sense? Think of 2014 as a transition period for the merit badge. During this time, you’ll find both pamphlets in Scout Shops, and a boy may choose which to use.

2007-2014 Requirements:

1. Do the following:

   a. Review with your counselor the injuries that might arise from cooking, including burns and scalds, and the proper treatment.

   b. Describe how meat, fish, chicken, eggs, dairy products, and fresh vegetables should be stored, transported, and properly prepared for cooking.

   c. Describe the following food-related illnesses and tell what you can do to help prevent each from happening:

   1. Salmonella enteritis

   2. Staphylococcal enteritis

   3. E. coli (Escherichia coli) enteritis

   4. Botulism

   5. Trichinosis

   6. Hepatitis

2. Do the following:

   a. Illustrate for your counselor the food pyramid that fits you. Label the following food groups in the pyramid and how much of each you should eat each day:

   1. Grains

   2. Vegetables

   3. Fruits

   4. Milk, yogurt, cheese

   5. Meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts

   6. Oils (fats) and sugars

   b. Explain why you should limit your intake of oils and sugars.

   c. Explain the number of servings recommended per day from each group.

   d. Give your counselor examples from each food group.

   e. Describe for your counselor the measurements of servings for each food group.

   f. Describe to your counselor food preparation techniques that result in more healthful and nutritious meals.

3. Plan a menu for two straight days (six meals) of camping. Include the following:

   a. A camp dinner with soup; meat, fish, poultry, or an appropriate substitute; two fresh vegetables; drink; and dessert. All are to be properly prepared. When preparing your menu, follow the nutritional guidelines set by the food pyramid.

   b. A one-pot dinner. Use foods other than canned.

   c. Using the menu planned for requirement 3, make a food list showing cost and amount needed to feed three or more boys.

   d. List the utensils needed to cook and serve these meals.

4. Using the menu planned for requirement 3, do the following and discuss the process with your merit badge counselor:

   a. Prepare and serve for yourself and two others, the two dinners, one lunch, and one breakfast. Time your cooking so that each course will be ready to serve at the proper time.*

   b. For meals prepared in requirement 4a for which a fire is needed, use a lightweight stove or build a low-impact fire. Include support for your cooking utensils from rocks, logs, or like material. The same fireplace may be used for more than one meal. Use a backpacking stove to cook at least one meal. (Where local regulations do not allow you to do this, the counselor may change the requirement to meet the law.)

   c. For each meal prepared in requirement 4a, use safe food-handling practices. Dispose of garbage, cans, foil, paper, and other rubbish by packing them out and depositing them in a proper container. After each meal, clean up the site thoroughly.

5. Plan a menu for one day (three meals) or for four meals over a two-day period of trail hiking or backpacking. Include the following:

   a. A breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a trail or backpacking trip where light weight is important. You should be able to store all foods used for several days without refrigeration. When preparing your menu, follow the nutritional guidelines set by the food pyramid.*

   b. Using the menu planned for requirement 5, make a food list showing cost and amount needed to feed three or more boys.

   c. List the utensils needed to cook and serve these meals.

   d. Figure the weight of the foods in requirement 5a.

6. Using the menu planned for requirement 5, do the following:

   a. Prepare and serve for yourself and two others, the trail breakfast and dinner. Time your cooking so that each course will be ready to serve at the proper time.

   b. Use an approved trail stove (with proper supervision) or charcoal to prepare your meals.

   c. For each meal prepared in requirement 6a, use safe food-handling practices. Dispose of garbage, cans, foil, paper, and other rubbish by packing them out and depositing them in a proper container. After each meal, clean up the site thoroughly.

7. Plan a menu for three full days of meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to be cooked at home.

   a. When preparing your menu, follow the nutritional guidelines set by the food pyramid. All meals are to be cooked or properly prepared.

   b. Using the menu planned for requirement 7, make a food list showing cost and amount needed to feed yourself and at least one adult (parent, family member, guardian, or other responsible adult).

   c. Tell what utensils were needed to cook and serve these meals.

   d. Prepare and serve a breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the menu you planned for requirement 7. Time your cooking to have each course ready to serve at the proper time. Have an adult verify the preparation of the meal to your counselor.

8. Find out about three career opportunities in cooking. Pick 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 requirements 4a and 5a may be prepared for different trips. They need not be prepared consecutively. Scouts working on this badge at summer camp should plan around food they can get at the camp commissary.

2014+ Requirements:

*Note: The meals prepared for Cooking merit badge requirements 5, 6, and 7 will count only toward fulfilling those requirements and will not count toward rank advancement. Meals prepared for rank advancement may not count toward the Cooking merit badge. You must not repeat any menus for meals actually prepared or cooked in requirements 5, 6, and 7.

1. Do the following:

   a. 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.

   b. 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.

   c. 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.

   d. Describe the following food-related illnesses and tell what you can do to help prevent each from happening:

   1. Salmonella

   2. Staphylococcal aureus

   3. Escherichia coli (E. coli)

   4. Clostridium botulinum (Botulism)

   5. Campylobacter jejuni

   6. Hepatitis

   7. Listeria monocytogenes

   8. Cryptosporidium

   9. Norovirus

   e. Discuss with your counselor food allergies, food intolerance, food-related diseases, and your awareness of these concerns.

2. Do the following:

   a. 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

   b. Explain why you should limit your intake of oils and sugars.

   c. 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.

   d. Discuss your current eating habits with your counselor and what you can do to eat healthier, based on the MyPlate food guide.

3. Do the following:

   a. 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.

   b. Refer to “How to Read a Food Label” in the Cooking merit badge pamphlet, and name ingredients that help the consumer identify the following allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, and shellfish.

4. Do the following:

   a. Discuss EACH of the following cooking methods. For each one, describe the equipment needed and name at least one food that can be cooked using that method: baking, boiling, pan frying, simmering, steaming, microwaving, and grilling.

   b. Discuss the benefits of using a camp stove on an outing vs. a charcoal or wood fire.

   c. Discuss how the Outdoor Code and no-trace principles pertain to cooking in the outdoors.

5. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for three full days of meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners) plus one dessert. Your menu should include enough to feed yourself and at least one adult, keeping in mind any special needs (such as food allergies) of those to be served. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:

   a. 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.

   b. Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.

   c. Using at least five of the seven cooking methods from requirement 4, 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.*

   d. 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.

   e. 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 better planning and preparation help ensure a successful meal.

   f. Explain how you kept perishable foods safe and free from cross-contamination.

6. Using the MyPlate food guide or the current USDA nutrition model, plan a menu for your patrol or a similar size group of up to eight youth, including you) for a camping trip. Include five meals AND at least one snack OR one dessert. List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:

   a. 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.

   b. Share and discuss your meal plan and shopping list with your counselor.

   c. In the outdoors, cook two of the meals you planned in requirement 6 using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire. Use a different cooking method for each meal.** The same fireplace may be used for both meals. Serve this meal to your patrol or a group of youth.

   d. In the outdoors, cook one of the meals you planned in requirement 6.Use either a Dutch oven, OR a foil pack, OR kabobs. Serve this meal to your patrol or a group of youth.**

   e. In the outdoors, prepare a dessert OR a snack and serve it to your patrol or a group of youth.**

   f. 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 better planning and preparation help ensure successful outdoor cooking.

   g. Explain how you kept perishable foods safe and free from cross-contamination.

7. 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). List the equipment and utensils needed to prepare and serve these meals. Then do the following:

   a. 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.

   b. 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.

   c. While on a trail hike or backpacking trip, prepare and serve two meals and a snack from the menu planned for requirement 7. At least one of those meals must be cooked over a fire, or an approved trail stove (with proper supervision).**

   d. For each meal prepared in requirement 7c, use safe food-handling practices. Clean up equipment, utensils, and the site thoroughly after each meal. Properly dispose of dishwater, and pack out all garbage.

   e. 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.

8. 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 5 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 6 and 7 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.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is: Boy Scout Requirements, 2014 Edition (BSA Supply No. 33216 - SKU# 619576)

A FREE workbook for Cooking is available here! with the maps, charts, links, diagrams, and checklists you need! Or click here to print just the Cooking requirements.

meritbadge.org has PDF and DOC versions of Boy Scout merit badge workbooks, Webelos workbooks, and Cub Scout workbooks.

• Per the BSA: "You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject." Pamphlets (books) are at local Scout Shops and online at ScoutStuff.org.
• "Get a signed Merit Badge application from your Scoutmaster." An online, printable Word doc file version is available.

• Boy Scout ranks: Tenderfoot - Second Class - First Class
• Boy Scout awards: Firem'n Chit - Totin' Chip - Paul Bunyan Woodsman
• Boy Scout Merit Badges: Astronomy - Backpacking - Camping - Canoeing - Climbing - Cooking - Cycling - Fire Safety - Hiking - Orienteering - Pioneering - Rowing - Weather - Water Sports - Whitewater - Wilderness Survival
• Venturing: Outdoor Bronze Award; Ranger Award electives: Backpacking
• Webelos Activity Badges: Forester - Naturalist - Outdoorsman
• Cub Scout Belt Loops & Pins: Astronomy - Map and Compass - Weather

• Boy Scout Merit Badges: Architecture - Art - Basketry - Bugling - Cinematography - Cooking - Graphic Arts - Indian Lore - Leatherwork - Metalwork - Model Design and Building - Music - Photography - Pottery - Sculpture - Theater- Wood Carving - Woodwork
• Venturing: Arts and Hobbies Bronze Award - Outdoor Living History (Ranger Award elective)
• Webelos Activity Badges: Artist - Craftsman - Showman
• Cub Scout Belt Loops & Pins: Art - Music

• An Introduction to Merit Badges – how to get started, who chooses the counselor, etc.
• Merit Badge Worksheets & Requirements – with the revision dates, diagrams, charts, checklists, logs, and links you need.
• Merit Badge Application – offers online resources to let you print "Blue Cards," etc.
• Merit Badge FAQ – answers dozens of questions like: Who can be a counselor? Can requirements be added or removed?
• Merit Badges Requiring Prior Approval – Certain requirements need prior approval. Most do not. Here is the list.
• Also see: List of how many boys have earned each Merit Badge – Merit Badge policies – Merit badges required for the Eagle Scout rank – Merit Badge Days
• Additionally: List of Merit Badges by Field of Study – Merit Badge Pamphlets & Libraries
• Merit Badge Counselors must complete Youth Protection Training, file an Adult Application (and Merit Badge Counselor Information Form); and be approved by the local council. (See the Guide for Merit Badge Counselors for additional details.)