What college major should I choose?

How about Early Childhood Education, and minor in Culinary Arts.

Do you really think that is a good idea, teaching children how to cook?
What age group are you targeting? As a parent I would not let any of my kids near the stove or oven before they were 9 or 10 years old. If you are teaching younger ones to make cookie dough and such you are going to be pressed to turn that into a full time job.

Back in the day, there was an elective called Home Economics in high school, my alma mater called it Nutritional Science, that was 100% female. This was 40 years ago.

You would need a degree in education to meet professional hiring standards in most states. Culinary Arts is a good suggestion if you can find that curriculum at your school.

SRM

why dont you choose something a bit more broader such as… A chef? And you can go to a culinary school. I agree with srmorgan, I wouldn’t let my kids near a stove as well..

My wife and I send our sons to an co-op preschool, where adults work in a high ratio (1:3) with kids in a hands-on environment that is very conducive to social development. One of the activities that occurs regularly is preparing meals/snacks in the classroom, and where safe and appropriate, the pupils of the class help the teachers and parent helpers.

Any state accredited pre-school or higher has safety regulations and guidelines to adhere to (in the U.S.), so within reason (i.e. not letting kids near stoves or other hazards), teaching cooking to kids can be done safely in the classroom.

Here’s my advice: plan for your plans to change. Get a major that will serve you well in a variety of contexts. You can teach kids to cook pretty much just as well with a mathematics or engineering degree as you can with an education degree, but the math will work out a lot better for you if you decide to go off and become a rocket scientist.

I would get an excellent education—take courses you haven’t even thought about: geology for example, or astronomy. Also take psychology and child development. And take literature and philosophy. There’s so much out there to learn about—and the more you know, the better work you can do with children—or cooking. It will inspire creativity and may even change whatever it is that you already think about the world. That’s why education can be so dangerous.

Rememb’, whatever you do, don’t let anyone box you into having to choose only 1 field. There is no reason not to mix two areas or more of your chosen interests into one educational pursuit.

Because of the reality of most advance education centers (Universities/Colleges), you should consider getting your degree in the core competency of your liking, e.g., if you want to teach and you like doing mechanical work then you could study to get your diploma as a teacher and simultaneously/later get your other degree in mechanics. On the other hand, I know people who like to keep split their interests, and just choose to endeavor in them at different times of the day/week/year. Example, a cousin of mine is a Ph.D in Physics, which he loves. He also loves theater, so he works at a university Jan to May/Sep to Dec teaching physics and then takes the summer to put together a play.

In mid-life (40’s) people talk about ‘if I could start over again’ choosing something related to their passion. If you have one now, pay attention to it and make sure that if you include it/leave it outside your studies is due your decision, and not carelessness.

As I like to say regarding the time you have to put into acquiring whatever you need to do what you love (internship/diploma/etc), “You pay now, or you pay later, but you gotta’ pay”.

Best wishes for an awesome life ahead!