CHEF is an award winning program grounded in research and best practices endorsed by, among others, the USDA, the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Diabetes Association. CHEF has been rigorously evaluated by independent researchers including UT Health San Antonio and Westat, Inc. a nationally recognized research and evaluation firm, and has been shown to have positive, statistically significant outcomes. These Impact Outcomes include improvements in student’s:  

• Nutrition Knowledge: understanding and retention of basic nutrition concepts and healthy lifestyle tenets.
• Self-Efficacy: confidence/competence to apply lessons learned in CHEF class at home .
• Health Eating Behavior: adoption, implementation, and fidelity to healthy eating practices such as increased fruit/vegetable/whole grain consumption, increased water consumption (decreased consumption of sugary beverages) and the regular practice of cooking/eating at home.

• Click here to see a peer-reviewed program evaluation published in Frontiers in Public Health.