Teaching Cooking & Kitchen Safety: Special Education Lesson

The most commonly addressed of the safety hazards, knife and microwave use.  Knife safety is important because it is not only important for students who are cutting ingredients as part of the food prep process, but for those who will scrounge around a drawer to find their preferred utensil without regard to the sharp edges of knives that lay in the drawer.  

Knives aren't the only sharp edge in the kitchen.  Keep in mind that Keurig machines, vegetable choppers, and even the ends of aluminum foil can be sharp! 

Keeping one's eyes on their hands when using a knife is very important and requires fine motor skills.  For students who may not feel comfortable using a knife to cut becuase of weak fine motor skills, it's also important to keep eyes to the sink when fishing out the next thing to clean or put in the dishwasher as other dishes or bubbles may block one's ability to see sharp knife edges and blades.  ​

Safe microwave use is also important.  What comes out is hot and one should use gloves.  Not everything can be put in the microwave, like styrofoam plates, silverware, cans, and aluminum foil.  And, the hard-to-nail-down skill of how long to cook something for, especially when reheating leftovers.  Cooking for too long may cause a fire, and not cooking long enough leaves it cold.  

There are some kitchen and cooking skills students can learn as they complete worksheets (as in when to use gloves when cooking), while others require that hands-on approach.  Putting on gloves and handling plates, bowls, pans, paper boxes, and containers adds a whole other feel to otherwise simple steps.  While understanding why one should wear gloves when handling hot things, it's the skill of knowing how the feeling of gloves changes how to handle and hold a hot surface.  

It's the invisible bacterial risk that comes with touching raw meat that makes it such a safety concern.  Just as important as knowing to wash hands after touching raw food is understanding how NOT washing hands or just a 'quick rinse' can lead to transferring bacteria and illness, spreading germs to other food and surfaces in the kitchen.  Students should also learn to wash their hands after they store food in the fridge or freezer, as raw meat liquid may be present on the packaging.  

Quality hand washing falls mainly in the 'personal hygiene' category, but it is also a key safety skill in the kitchen.  Going hand in hand with touching raw meat, washing hands reduces the risk of spreading and consuming bacteria and aids in safely handling food and utensils in general.  Clean, dry hands make holding, carrying, and using other utensils and appliances easier and safer.  

Not to mention, using soap and washing hands is a functional life skill that is used in all environments, including vocational education. For a specific hand-washing week-long lesson unit, check out my Hand washing and bathrooming lesson.  

Spill some water, clean it up.  Spill some soup, clean it up.  Want to use the toaster, be sure it's away from those spills!  This is a key part of the cooking process.  However, knowing not to use appliances that are near or in water creates a safe working environment.  Water ends up on the counter from washing dishes and cleaning hands, from spilled cups of water, and from overflowing bowls.  Cleaning it up is more than just a chore, it's safety related. 

Unpopular Opinion:

It is totally okay to buy pre-cut, pre-cooked, and pre-portioned food.  In fact, it should be encouraged more!  

The overall cost will be slightly higher at check-out, but purchasing done-for-you food will also greatly decrease safety risks and greatly increase healthy eating.   As a meal-delivery customer for years and years and years (thank you, Hello Fresh), I know that when healthy food is easily accessible, I'm more likely to eat it.  

For example, if an individual can eat pre-cooked and pre-sliced chicken strips safely, then they may be able to prepare more meals for themselves and rely less on unhealthy convenience foods.  Let's not even in add in the delivery fees for restaurant meals!  

There are several safety risks related to cooking raw chicken strips, including handling raw meat, safely storing raw meat, cleaning after handling raw meat, using a heat source, and cooking meat until it meets an internal temperature. While the cost of a pre-cut, pre-cooked option may be slightly higher than a raw option, it will also be more likely to be cooked and eaten and less likely to be wasted and thrown in the garbage, which will be much cheaper than a meal at a restaurant.  

What to try part of this kitchen safety lesson unit for free?

Additional Essential Life Skills 

Looking to increase functional reading skills?  The Cooking and Kitchen Safety Workbook includes recipe comprehension cooking passages!  

Want more kitchen-related cooking units?  Check out the Following a Recipe and Food Storage Lesson Units.