Cookbook written by MPH students combats picky eating for ‘little foodies’

Brittany Rogers (left), Erica Carr and their instructor Emily Maddux in the nutrition lab in UTC’s Metropolitan Building.

When Erica Carr and Brittany Rogers started their community nutrition experiential learning hours last semester, they didn’t expect to write a cookbook.

As students in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, they worked with the Chattanooga Food Center’s annual Good Food Fair—an event that introduces families to healthy foods in a fun, interactive way.

The Chattanooga Food Center wanted to go beyond a one-day event by collaborating with MPH students themselves. That’s when Emily Maddux, a lecturer in the MPH program, assigned Carr and Rogers to the project.

“Because we have competencies related to clinical, food service and community public health, we have to provide the students with opportunities from all those areas,” Maddux explained. “Students might have their mind set on what they want to do eventually, but that’s the beauty of our program. They have to be involved in all those other areas.”

The result of the collaboration was a digital cookbook titled “Cooking Adventures for Little Foodies,” designed specifically for children who are picky eaters or have sensory-related food issues. The cookbook is packed with simple and nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

“We wanted it to be for kids if they were looking at it, but also for parents,” said Rogers, who graduated with an athletic training degree from Texas State University in 2017. “If a kid was like, ‘Hey, this is what I want to cook,’ then the parents can look at it and use it as a resource.”

Carr, who described herself as a “nutrition nerd,” said that she has experience working with young children and understands that not all kids have the same eating patterns—especially those who have sensitivities to certain tastes and textures.

A section of “Cooking Adventures for Little Foodies” by Erica Carr and Brittany Rogers.

“How to give them the most nutritionally balanced meals they’ll actually enjoy—it can be tricky,” said Carr, a 2018 graduate of UT Knoxville with a degree in psychology.

The pair spent about two weeks developing the cookbook, selecting recipes that would appeal to children while also being easy for parents to prepare.

They used U.S. Department of Agriculture-backed nutrition guidelines and structured the book with different meal sections. They also included interactive elements—such as kitchen safety tips and age-appropriate cooking tasks—so kids could get involved.

“We came up with a draft including breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then going backwards using the USDA to help us make interactive pages for different age groups,” Rogers said. “If we have a 3-year-old, how can they help in the kitchen?”

The Chattanooga Food Center provided guidance along the way, giving Carr and Rogers plenty of creative freedom.

“They were very open to our ideas,” Carr said. “It was very encouraging.”

The cookbook is now available on the Chattanooga Food Center website and is free for the public to view and download.

Associate Professor and MPH Program Director Amir Alakaam said that students in the program don’t have to wait for an internship opportunity to gain real-world experience and address local community needs. It can all be accomplished while in class.

“Our programs, especially in terms of nutrition and dietetics—compared to others in the state—offer hands-on experience and contributions to the community,” Alakaam said.

He emphasized that projects like this help the program stand out.

“Students in the MPH program know how important it is to get the accurate information outside,” he said. “It’s not just recipes from all over the place that do not have a scientific basis. All of their resources are from the USDA, where all information related to nutrition should come from.”

For Carr and Rogers, seeing their book on Chattanooga Food Center’s website is rewarding.

“It feels good,” Carr said. “It’s pretty cool to have our names on there.”