Winners of the Kids C.A.N. Healthy
Recipe Contest

By entering this year’s contest, 7th and 8th grade kids across the nation took the challenge to show HKC that they C.A.N. (Connect Activity and Nutrition)!

Entries came from kids who had fun and were creative in the kitchen, while learning to prepare a healthy recipe that looks and tastes AWESOME!

Contestants selected and prepared an original recipe (or modification of a standard), and wrote a short essay explaining what makes the recipe healthy and how the recipe helps with healthy eating balance in one of the following categories: breakfast, snack, and main dish. Cool prizes included kitchen equipment, HKC special recipe contest T-shirt, and Southwest cooking supplies from the Chile Shop, Santa Fe, New Mexico. All recipes and essays submitted were judged on the following:

• Recipe: Originality and Creativity
              Presentation and Appearance
• Essay: Quality and how completely essay questions were answered

Family support is always necessary, but schools and teachers had a big influence on this year’s winners! By providing hands on food preparation opportunities, classroom discussion about foods and recipe modifications; kids were able to apply their learned skills to enter the contest. In fact, one teacher and classroom showcased the goals of the contest in all 3 categories: breakfast, snack, and main dish. To find out more, take a look at the winners’ stories below!

Click on each winner’s name to see excerpts of essays, quotes, and award winning recipes!

Goochland Middle School, of Goochland, Virginia, provided a winning team with Family Consumer Science teacher, Ms. Edwards, and her Independent Living class. HKC decided to make a school/teacher/students award for their excellence!

To achieve this award, take a look at what went on in the classroom. Lessons included healthy eating, food nutrients and recipe modification. Each student selected an existing recipe and modified it to reduce the amount of calories, fat, sugar and sodium, while maintaining flavor and possibly increasing nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Each student prepared their recipe at home and brought it to class to share. Kids enjoyed the chance to taste test so much, they may create a class cookbook!

Ms. Edwards stated, “This experience really helped my students to understand that we have control over what we put into our bodies and the important things each nutrient does for us. Prior to this experience, many students had distorted views of healthy eating…and thought “healthy” meant it didn’t taste good. They have become more optimistic about healthy eating and seem willing to change some of their existing habits to incorporate healthy foods into their daily lives. Thank you Healthy Kids Challenge for bringing this experience to my students.”

Goochland Middle School is Proud
of their Contest Winners!

Ms. Edwards’ Creative Student Chefs

Tulsa, our main dish winner from State College, Pennsylvania, was also encouraged to enter the recipe contest by her Mt. Nittany Middle School teacher, Ms. Stanton. During class, Ms. Stanton made time to discuss healthy food choices with the kids, which lead to cooking and recipe modifications. Tulsa took that information to heart and went home to create her healthier Greek Quesadillas recipe. This is the first time Tulsa had gone through the process of modifying a recipe, let alone entering a contest! HKC hopes this is just the beginning for her.

Chef Tulsa Cooking Her
Greek Quesadillas Recipe!

Matthew, our snack winner, attends Elizabethtown Area Middle School, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. His interest was to find a recipe for a healthy, good tasting, and easy to make, snack item to help him reach his healthy eating goals. He found just that, by creating his Buffalo Wing Potato Skins recipe. Matthew has been encouraged to cook at home, allowing him to improve his skills which will be used the rest of his life. Matthew states, “I love to cook…this contest has helped me to think of healthier ways to cook.”

Matthew’s Award Winning Buffalo
Wing Potato Skins Recipe

Congratulations to the Healthy Kids Challenge Winners who have connected activity and nutrition by entering the recipe contest!

Ms. Edwards’ Students Blending Ingredients		Goochland Students Checking Recipes

ANNOUNCING the 2008-09 Middle School Recipe Contest

Sponsored by Mission Foods and Cabot Creamery

Healthy Kids Challenge is excited to announce a new name for our 2008-09 middle school recipe contest, “Stirring Up Health™”. “We feel this name lends itself to our mission for the contest; offering 7th and 8th grade students an opportunity to build basic culinary skills, enjoy cooking, and become their own advocates for good health,” stated Vickie L. James, RD, LD, HKC Director. “We are pleased to partner this coming year with two leaders in the food industry, Mission Foods and Cabot Creamery. You’ll see some category changes. Students will be given the fun challenge to create healthy, tasty recipes using cheese and tortillas as key ingredients. It should be a great learning experience!” exclaimed James.

Also another great surprise for the upcoming year’s contest is the grand prize package. The 4 national winners will once again receive a “Chef for a Day” experience. Johnson & Wales University chef instructors will travel to the winner’s school and prepare the student’s winning recipe with him or her during a school celebration event.

Check out the “Stirring Up Health™” contest details in the fall!

For additional information contact:
Vickie L. James, RD, LD, Healthy Kids Challenge Director
Vickie@healthykidschallenge.com
www.healthykidschallenge.com