Talking Seed to Plate

As the fourth graders filed into the Recipe for Success (RFS) Classroom, the excitement was tangible. Today was the day for the Iron Chef Competition, a contest specifically organized as a fun and interactive wrap up for the Seed-to-Plate Nutrition EducationÔ (S2P) class. And these little chefs were armed and ready for this culinary battle.

Battle Fruit Salad with Berry Yogurt Topping

As soon as distinguished Chef Barbara McKnight of Catering by Culinaire - volunteer through RFS Chefs in Schools Program - and Briscoe S2P Team Leader Anne Weinheimer gave the students a few tips and reminders, the students energetically went to work. Each workstation, outfitted with recipes, ingredients, bowls and knives, had four to five students, all who were bubbling over with eagerness to play their part in the preparation. A rainbow of colors, the smell of oranges, apples, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, mango and basil (yes, basil) wafted through the air as the busy little hands chopped, peeled and mixed with confidence and ease.

In charge of every step of the process, the students utilized all of their S2P knowledge as they easily transitioned into chef mode, discussing recipes and smelling their ingredients before using them. With a sense of control and responsibility, these little chefs were intent on creating the perfect bowl of fruit salad. And let's not forget the berry yogurt topping! The students whipped up a healthy and delicious topping that they could hardly wait to mix in to reveal their finished products.

As the students enthusiastically and animatedly took (somewhat) surreptitious bites of their ingredients, it was clear that the RFS motto "making healthy food fun" was truly at work in this classroom, connecting students to healthy, vibrant and whole fruits and vegetables and giving them the self-assurance to venture out and try new foods.

The judges - Chef Barbara McKnight, Juan Rosa (from Fiesta) and Molly Kaminski (RFS staff) surveyed the creative chaos, taking note of stellar teamwork and cleanliness.

Once the students presented their finished products to the judges, they sat down and eagerly awaited the results. The four categories included: presentation, teamwork, cleanliness and overall dish.

After the judges announced the winners of each category, to much applause and cheers, the students then dug into their own bowls of fruit salad, congratulating each other on the flavors and colors of their dishes, all the while unknowingly reinforcing long term healthy eating habits.

How do you get your fill of fruit each day?

"Civilization was built on salt. Salt is transformative, its commonness, deceiving. Unlike most ingredients, it doesn't just add it's own flavor, making something saltier; it changes the very flavor profile of the thing itself..." - wholeliving.com

Thought salt was merely a fixture at the dinner table? Wrong.

From currency to cures, salt has always been a staple in our civilization, preserving foods, tanning hides and dyeing cloths. The oceans contain it, the scientists seek it on other planets and an iconic image - Morton's Salt- represents it. The once majestic and revered qualities of this crystalline mineral, so important in fact that it represents one of the five basic tastes, has (relatively) recently become the culprit for (or at least a factor in) many chronic healthy problems - hypertension and Type II diabetes to name a few- a topic that seems to be at the forefront of current food news.

With the rise of fast food consumption has come the rise of (inordinate) sodium intake. A recent study, America Has Saltiest Fast Food examining six fast food chains - Burger King, Domino's, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Subway- in six different countries showed that the U.S. Food Industry lays claim to the title of "Saltiest Fast Food," a title that surely does not come with bragging rights. It is precisely the soaring salt levels in these fast food items that make them so appealing/addictive to the palette, with some researchers claiming Salt Stimulates Brain Cells Just Like Hard Drugs that it stimulates the brain cells just like cigarettes or hard drugs.

Incremental change is the name of the game. Even if fast food giants don't completely eliminate all sodium-saturated items off their menu, they can at least begin to reduce the levels of sodium in the more popular items, easing the fast-food eating public into a healthier lifestyle.

What is the easiest way to cut your sodium intake and achieve a normal, healthy attitude towards food? Eating freshly prepared meals, that's how.

Houston elementary students in Recipe for Success Foundation's (RFS) award-winning Seed-to-Plate Nutrition EducationÔ (S2P) program are getting an early introduction into this more natural approach to eating. With hands on, interactive cooking and gardening classes, their minds are stimulated and their appetites are sated, empowering them to bring their food knowledge into their own homes and share it with their family and friends. Using only the freshest of foods- many times from their own gardens- the children get to taste the true flavors of their culinary creations, unsullied by excessive salt or additives.

Next time you go to a fast food chain, find out how much sodium is in your item of choice.

 In response to a 2010 proposed class-action lawsuit (that was recently dismissed), McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud stated "We stand on our 30-year track record of providing a fun experience for kids and families at McDonald's." The word "fun," in this case, refers to the familiar toy that comes in every Happy Meal, a big draw for children when they are choosing where and what they want to eat.

But what if the word "fun," when referring to children's meals, took on a different connotation? What if children played with their food instead of the toy that came with their meal? No, I don't mean throwing overcooked and unwanted vegetables across the table at their younger siblings. I'm talking about an altogether different approach; I'm talking about turning the tables and actually encouraging children to participate in the cooking process, making fresh and healthy food an interactive experience, from assisting with preparation, experimenting with recipes and of course partaking in the end result, designating a positive association to a phrase that was once deemed a reprimand: "playing with your food."

Recipe for Success Foundation (RFS), leading the way in hands-on nutrition education aimed at preventing childhood obesity and encouraging long-term health, promotes interaction at every level of the learning/food process. RFS's nationally recognized Seed-to-Plate Nutrition EducationÔ (S2P) program teaches children how to grow, harvest and cook their own healthy food; the children co-pilot the food progression from the school gardens to the classroom kitchens, instilling a connection to and an enthusiasm for fresh and nutritious fare.

But who helps to positively influence children's dietary decisions once they leave the S2P classroom?

It is up to family and friends to intercede and induce an interactive and healthy approach to eating. Instead of spending 20 minutes in a car to sit in a drive thru line or waiting 30 minutes for the pizza to show up at the front door, spend a few minutes rolling meatballs for a spaghetti dish or prepping fresh vegetables for a homemade pizza. Easy, affordable and a bonding experience to boot, these activities inspire children to become more independent and self-assured about healthy eating habits, especially if they see role models such as parents or older siblings and friends helping out in the kitchen. Once a child has had fun "playing with their food" in the kitchen, they will be more apt to try new and different dishes, dishes with more vegetables and fruits, dishes that wouldn't be sold on a fast food menu.

So take charge of your very own competitive healthy food marketing campaign. Make your own Happy Meal.

What do you think about letting children "play with their food?"

In honor of national nutrition month, RFS Showcase School-Sylvan Rodriguez Elementary will put on a sweeping and stimulating art show entitled "FOODIE: Food as Art, Art as Food." FOODIE, a school wide display that features art that is inspired by or made by food, combines the students' foray into the art world with their appreciation and understanding of healthy foods.

"The focus of the RFS Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ is to create a campus wide culture of health--not simply limit the subject of healthy eating to the RFS gardening and cooking classes, and the Foodie project is a wonderful example of the sort of creative ways our partner schools can approach engaging projects that complement our core work," remarked Chef Kendall Moister, the RFS Team Leader at Rodriguez.   "Thanks to resourceful and collaborative efforts made by Rodriguez Elementary Art Director, Michael Bourquin, this is a perfect example of how to integrate positive healthy messaging into other school subjects and help us create a more fluid and far-reaching platform.  Besides having a hit on his hands at Rodriguez, his hard work has paved the way for our other partner schools to implement a Foodie project of their own."

Opening on April 19, FOODIE will be on display for the remainder of the school year, a constant reminder of the combined effort that was put forth and the multi-subject lessons that were gleaned from the extensive project. From pre-schoolers to 5^th graders, students of all ages and backgrounds participated in the school wide project, which has been in production since the beginning of the school year. "I like to give these kids a much larger chunk of the world than they are used to," says Bourquin. Multiple educational perspectives and art avenues will be explored in this eye-catching and thought provoking art show.

Beginning as a pilot school in Recipe for Success Foundation's (RFS) Seed-to-Plate Nutrition EducationÔ Program (S2P), Rodriguez Elementary - now in its 6^th year of a fully integrated ancillary partnership with RFS that serves all grades - extends the boundaries of RFS Seed-to-Plate subject matter with its comprehensive and inspiring works of art.

"I've always wanted to do a show that brought in the food element. I think we've really pushed the definition of what a 'foodie' is," says Bourquin. From a marketing campaign for Super foods to time lapse photography of the school's Recipe Garden and from food paintings to compost sculptures, even the school Recipe Garden beds will be incorporated into this not-so-average exhibit. Approaching the unity of food and art in an organic manner, FOODIE breaks down barriers that normally deny children the opportunity to fully explore the two worlds and emboldens them to "think outside the box."

"I have watched the RFS Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ project develop from a program reserved for 4^th graders to a fully integrated part of our school's curriculum and culture--touching every student," says Bourquin.  Just as the RFS Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ program focuses on children understand, appreciate and eat their food, Bourquin's Foodie art project is on a mission to increase students' confidence and independence in the way they approach art, by encouraging dialogue, interaction and independence.

What kind of interactive projects did you participate in for National Nutrition Month, Earth Day or National Gardening Month?

Who said that learning had to be boring? And who said that pizza had to be that greasy, plastic-looking square on your lunch plate?

Although every Seed-to-Plate Nutrition EducationÔ class has a common goal of uniting food with knowledge, I had the pleasure of watching as this particular class took it to the next level, integrating science (perfectly paired with the science fair that was held on the same day), math and nutrition all into one, demonstrating that healthy food and learning can be fun and delicious!

Chef Randy Evans, a founding member of the RFS's Chefs Advisory Board, joined S2P Team Leader Chef Alyssa Doyle to teach a class this week that excited the senses and expanded the minds of twenty-five fourth graders.  They will never think of pizza in the same way again.

Whereas normally the pizza crust takes a backseat to the plethora of pizza toppings and sauces, Chef Randy had a different approach; emphasize the process of dough making; after all, you can't have a pizza without it. After pronouncing that dough making was akin to a science experiment (which made all eyes focus on him), he began to spout words and phrases such as "chemical reactions," "carbon dioxide," "activation" and "gluten," while intermittently telling personal stories of a gristmill that he once visited; each story had a purpose, and the students listened attentively, hanging on stimulating sentences such as "flour is an explosive when it's being ground fresh."

Throughout the sauce making (pesto sauce made from the MacGregor School gardens - parsley, spinach and oregano) and topping (bell peppers, tomatoes, goat cheese) process, Chef Randy and Chef Alyssa kept up a steady stream of questions and answers, keeping the students involved. From dividing the pizza into fractions to learning how to activate yeast in the dough to discussing the food groups in the My Plate Pyramid, the classroom of 4^th graders had unknowingly combined several different lessons into one, all under the guise of a pizza party.

As Chef Randy put the brightly colored and already fragrant pizzas in the oven, he summed up the lesson with a few thoughts that cut to the heart of what RFS strives to impart on all children. "You need a good balance of all five food groups to keep yourself healthy. When we cook our meals ourselves, we can more easily balance ingredients, and it ends up tasting great."

Do you make pizza with your kids?  What are your family's favorite toppings?

Four weeks of celebrating encouraged by the USDA? Sounds good to me. March is National Nutrition Month, and local, state and national leaders and organizations are jumping on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon to participate in numerous events to raise awareness and interest in promoting healthy diets.

Although the word "celebrate" usually connotes images of excess food and drink, National Nutrition Month celebrations are focused on moderation and nutrition, offering fun and interactive events and outreach programs such as Get Your Plate In Shape, Spot The Block Campaign, and My Plate Community and National Strategic Partners. From the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), with many more organizations on board, National Nutrition Month makes a sweeping effort to reach all eaters and to emphasize the importance of reaching for the healthier food option.

So how will you celebrate National Nutrition Month?

Twelve Houston elementary schools recently participated in the Recipe for Success Foundation (RFS) 5-A-Day Teacher Challenge, daring participating faculty and staff to improve their diets by eating more fruits and vegetables and reporting daily progress to their students. Whether you are a schoolteacher, a parent or a community center leader, there are plenty of fun and educational games and activities to choose from in order to rally interest and participation in striving for healthier eating habits. With online resources such as eatright, offering nutrition-centered games, quiz and videos, and EducationWorld offering everything from nutrition news to healthy food activities to theater scripts centered on fruits and vegetables, there are enough activities to keep children's interest for the entire month of March and beyond!

Recipe for Success Foundation (RFS) works towards making nutrition a lifelong goal. Dedicated to changing the way children understand, appreciate and eat their food, RFS wholeheartedly supports National Nutrition Month, but also works to extend that same level of advocacy and awareness into the everyday lives of our children, encouraging them to make healthy meal and lifestyle choices all year long.

The USDA took another step in the right direction with the hire of Deborah Kane as national director for the Farm to School Program. Recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" for her work in regional food system development, Kane will join a team that is already working towards expanding the programming and increasing access to fresh foods.
http://www.farmtoschool.org/

In order for children to be receptive to acquiring and retaining an interest in healthy, fresh food, they need to be involved in the discussion of where their food is coming from. The Farm to School initiative, created in 2007, is "an effort to connect schools (K - 12) with regional or local farms in order to serve healthy meals using locally produced food" http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/about.htm#Initiative. The National Farm to School Network works to link children and the community to the story behind their food. From these stories comes more appreciation of the land, animals and labor that goes into producing the next meal, whether in the lunchroom or at the home dining table.

Just as Recipe for Success Foundation (RFS) focuses on involving children in the entire food cycle, implementing programs such as the award winning Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education (S2P) - an interactive, educational in-school program that concentrates on making healthy food fun- the Farm to School Program pushes for healthier understanding of the entire food process, from the soil to the dinner table.  Once students become a more integral part of this process - whether that means discussing which produce are in season, understanding the health benefits of whole foods, visiting a nearby farm, or perhaps even harvesting produce themselves- they will be more likely to incorporate healthier foods into their lifestyle.

Changes - whether incremental or sweeping- in the way food is presented to children are a necessary step in the quest to reverse childhood obesity.

Carrot & Kohlrabi Soup

For the soup:

On January 18, Recipe for Success Foundation launched the first of what will be a stimulating assortment of 2012 healthy cooking and gardening classes at the newly opened RecipeHouse (RH), located in Houston's Museum District at 4400 Yupon Street.

This hands-on cooking class boasted Chef Garth Blackburn - executive chef for Subzero/Wolf showroom in Houston- as instructor, and RFS board members and some special guests as attendees. A meticulously measured blend of dialogue, instruction, eating and imbibing, the cooking class proved to be a resounding success; with sated appetites and renewed interest in and advocacy for RH, board members offered up their own thoughts about the evening.

"Garth was great - his idea that we, not him, would make dinner under his guidance made it real and the food more appreciated" - Amy Anton. And it's not too often that you hear - whether from a child or an adult - "Best Brussels sprouts I ever had!" - Frank Steininger.

Easy Kale Salad

 

1 bunch of Kale, de-stemmed and chopped

½ onion, diced

½ C sunflower seeds (or any other seed or nut your prefer)

¼ C Feta, crumbled (any cheese will do or skip the cheese all together)

1 Lemon, juiced

1-2 Tbs. Olive oil

 

Optional:

Mustard greens, chopped

Dried fruit (my personal favorite are currants and blueberries)

Fresh herbs

Green Onions

 

Combine all ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Easy as 1-2-3!