Center for Culinary Arts in Sarasota hosted a Childhood Nutrition Day in conjunction with the ACFEF Chef and Child Foundation event in their kitchens. The mission of the foundation is “To educate children and families in understanding proper nutrition through community-based initiatives led by American culinary federation chef members, and to be the voice of the culinary industry in its fight against childhood hunger, malnutrition and obesity.” ACF chapter president and KU Chef Instructor Blake Ellis Invited 16 eighth grade students and three teachers from the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences.
This was a hands-on cooking event for the attendees who were able to prepare some time-honored favorite dishes. The chefs were able to teach the students how to prepare healthy versions of mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken noodle soup, and caramel apple oatmeal cookies. KU culinary students, who were not in class during this event, were able to volunteer to help assist the guests with their dishes.
After creating healthy versions of these classic dishes the guests ate what they had prepared. In order to promote a healthy cooking style, all items used were fresh and when possible, locally grown. The Keiser Culinary Instructors focused on showing the students the difference between the traditional versions of the recipes and the healthy versions. All three recipes were a hit! The kids learned that healthy food can be delicious and fun to make and a great time was had by all.
My instructors believed in me. They were more than instructors, they tried to get to know you as a person and tried to understand your goals so they could push you towards them. Student services helped me find a job before I even graduated. Everyone was dedicated to my overall success.
