10/29/2026
This Eagle-Required Cooking Merit Badge introduces principles of cooking that can be used both at home or in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning, and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available.
7 requirements include:
• Health and Safety: Learn first aid for burns, scalds, cuts, choking, and allergic reactions. Master food safety rules, proper storage, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Nutrition: Apply USDA MyPlate guidelines, analyze food labels, track daily calories and physical activity, and discuss eating habits.
• Cooking Basics: Master ten different cooking methods (such as pan frying, simmering, steaming, grilling, and Dutch oven cooking) and manage meal timing.
• Home Cooking (Requirement 4): Plan a 3-day menu and dessert for at least two people, then cook one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one dessert.
• Camp Cooking (Requirement 5): Plan a patrol menu (four meals, a snack, and a dessert for up to eight people) and cook them using camp stoves or fires.
• Trail Cooking (Requirement 6): Plan and prepare lightweight, no-refrigeration trail meals following Leave No Trace principles.
• Careers (Requirement 7): Research culinary careers or cooking-related hobbies.
