Culinary traditions are integral part of the cultural identity of every community, shaping the way people prepare, cook, serve and enjoy their meals. It includes the food customs, practices and recipes that have been passed through generations.
Objective: was to evaluate age long cooking practices, recipes, cooking utensils and meal preparation methods practiced in households of rural Epe communities in the context of contemporary cookery.
Methodology: Qualitative research approach was used. One hundred Homemakers were randomly selected. Interviews and observation were primary data collection sources. Data collected were analysed using Thematic Analysis and Content Analysis Techniques.
Results revealed the rich diversity of culinary traditions as 92% of respondents incorporates elements from multiple Nigerian ethnic cuisines using locally available ingredients. 75% Still use traditional cooking utensils-clay pots, wooden mortar and pestle and employ traditional technologies in food preservation. Blend of traditional and innovation is employed in meal preparation by 62% of the respondents. Majority of the respondents (96%) engage in communal cooking at special occasions as part of their cultural heritage (96%). A major challenge is the preservation of their culinary heritage which is gradually been eroded. The study recommends recipes documentation and workshops to promote and preserve their culinary heritage.

Many families lack access to quality food and nutrition education and risk negative health outcomes. Agriculture, nutrition, and health education targeted towards school-aged, at-risk youth and their families provide the knowledge and skills needed to make healthier choices, resulting in positive behavior changes. Three unique programs were developed to target these objectives: Try It Tuesday, gave public elementary schools students the opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables; Tiny Market, a mobile farmer’s market used to educate youth on nutrition and food production through activities such as scavenger hunts, healthy snack preparation, and shopping at the market; and Farmers in Training (F.I.T.), a program held at our monthly farmers market where children completed a taste test, physical activity, and nutrition activity focused on an in-season fruit or vegetable. Program outcomes were evaluated through pre- and post-surveys with the following results. 1) Students exhibited a 55% knowledge gain about the importance of healthy food choices. 2) Youth increased fruit consumption by 12% and vegetable consumption by 10%. 3) 9% of students began giving their family suggestions on healthy snacks and meals. These results suggest that youth who explore relationships with foods are empowered to incorporate healthy choices into their lifestyle immediately.

Five of the nine planetary boundaries (Rockström, 2009; Steffen, 2015; Richardsson, 2023) are directly or indirectly related to food production: climate change, land system change, freshwater change, biosphere integrity, biochemical fluxes. Meat-based food systems require more energy, land and water resources than lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets (Pimentel & Pimentel, 2003). Therefore, meat-based diets, such as the typical Western diet, have a much higher impact on planetary boundaries than plant-based diets (EAT-Lancet, 2019). Young people are more open to eating less meat (BMEL, 2021). But even if they are willing to do so: What personally prevents them from adopting a more plant-based diet?

Adolescents (aged 16-17; N=339) and young adults (aged 18-20, N=270) were asked about their current diet and their willingness to change to a more plant-based diet. Overall, 60% of participants were omnivores, 19.3% were flexitarians, 16.4% were vegetarians and 4.3% were vegans. 70% of the participants who eat meat (omnivores and flexitarians) are willing to adopt a more plant-based diet. Perceived barriers include social environment, financial reasons, perceived lack of information, as well as unsupportive environments.

This non-representative online survey provides a first indication of perceived individual barriers to adopting a more plant-based diet among German adolescents and young adults.

The study specifically identified the factors related to the consumer preferences of the fast food products in Choma District restaurants, determined the criteria the consumers use for selecting fast food in Choma district restaurants, established how customer satisfaction lead to customer retention in Choma district restaurants and provided suggestions to restaurants’ service personnel and providers that can help them improve how they deliver their service and prepare meals that are more acceptable to their customers. The study employed a descriptive research design to collect and analyze data collected from 90 respondents. Questionnaires, interviews and observations were utilized in the study for data collection. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS 25 to produce outputs such as frequency tables, distribution tables, pie charts and bar charts while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study found that Brand reputation, Cost and quality relationship and Clean and Hygiene, Nearness and accessibility, similar taste of fast food, discount and taste, salesmanship and decoration and fat and cholesterol are the eight 8 factors related to the consumer preferences of meals in Choma district restaurants.

This study, a cross-sectional survey conducted in Edo State, Nigeria, aimed to understand the nutritional status, break period meals, and physical activities among 1805 school-aged children (aged 6-15 years) from sixteen public schools. It answered three research questions and tested three null hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level.
The findings revealed that approximately 22% of students did not receive meals during break periods, and roughly 30.8% did not engage in physical activities during these breaks. Additionally, 5% exhibited concerning physical features, while 13.7% were overweight or obese. The study identified significant associations between break-period meal consumption and clinical features (r = -0.22; ρ ≤ 0.000), as well as body mass index (r = -0.096; ρ ≤ 0.000). Physical activities were also associated with clinical features (r = -0.052; ρ = 0.030).
The study concluded that these associations varied based on school location and type. These findings have important implications for public health interventions in Edo State and Nigeria as a whole. The study recommends the provision of free school meals and promoting healthy play activities during break periods to address these issues.

Introduction
Knowledge and consumption of indigenous foods by Black South African university students are poorly documented, yet the consumption of indigenous foods can combat food and nutrition insecurity. The aim of the study was to assess indigenous food knowledge and consumption of students in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (FSAE) at the University of Zululand, South Africa.
Method
The study followed a quantitative approach which utilized an online survey to collect data from 167 purposively sampled students. The online survey was shared using social media tools. Descriptive analysis was carried out using MS Excel.
Findings
Most students knew indigenous foods such as Amadumbe (95%), Marula (82%), Monkey Orange (73%) and Bambara (70%). Vegetables like Amaranth and Amadumbe were the most frequently consumed. Students hardly ever consumed grains like cowpea and vegetables like bitter melon. Less than 10% of students consumed any indigenous fruits.
Conclusion
Consumption of several indigenous foods are very low. This may be because of negative perceptions of indigenous food as being for the poor and time consuming to prepare. This study lays the foundation for educating youth on health benefits of indigenous foods and the development of indigenous food products that will appeal to youth.