6 minute read
FOR THE KIDS
from National Culinary Review (January/February 2024)
by National Culinary Review (an American Culinary Federation publication)
These ACF Chefs are feeding healthy food to future generations //
By Lauren Kramer
Children are the next generation, and their dietary and nutritional habits should be in the spotlight. Their eating habits will dictate their future health, which will have farreaching implications on their longevity, their contribution to the workforce and the toll they will exact on the American health care system. But the data on kids’ eating habits remains worrying; a 2021 study published in the medical journal JAMA noted that 67% of calories consumed by children and adolescents in 2018 came from ultra-processed foods.
We caught up with two ACF members of the newly formed International Chefs Day Task Force who are determined to make a difference, and who recognize the inherent value in teaching nutrition to the younger generation.
When ACF Chef Kareen “Coco”
Linton left a career in fashion design to become a chef, she knew food would be her vehicle to connect with people. But one thing that shocked her was how many children around her in Tampa, Fla., didn’t know where fruit and vegetables even came from. “They think it comes from supermarkets,” she says.
As a kid in Barbados, Chef Linton, the CEO of A Dash of Coco LLC, recalls picking bananas from a tree outside her house and having a vegetable garden out back. “Many kids today don’t have the opportunity to see how these things can be grown, and to learn about the nutritional value of food,” she reflected. She knew she wanted to change that.
When an urban farm was established behind her building in Tampa’s Downtown Tempo District in 2019, the opportunity presented itself. Chef Linton got to know one of the farmers, Travis Malloy, and discussed her vision of bringing elementary-aged children from the community to the farm to learn about food. He loved the idea and was eager to collaborate with her to make it happen. But with delays caused by COVID-19 among other challenges, the vision took four years to come to life.
Partnering with the ACF Tampa Bay Chapter, the Tampa Housing Authority, Meacham Urban Farms, developers from Encore! Downtown Tempo District and others, Chef Linton arranged a tour for 12 neighborhood children aged 6 through 8 in October 2023.
The program, set to coincide with International Chefs Day and Childhood Nutrition Day (Chef Linton is a member of the newly formed ACF International Chefs Day Task Force), involved a farm tour to meet the chickens, watch the bees in their hives and learn about some of the herbs and vegetables grown on the farm. After that, the children were taken to the Meacham Urban Farm kitchen, where they donned chefs’ caps and aprons and were given a demonstration on how to make pizza using the basil they had just learned about.
“Of course, because it was pizza, everyone was happy!” Chef Linton says with a laugh. “The kids enjoyed making their own meal and wanted to know when they could do it again. Seeing the joy in their faces really touched my heart.”
At press time, Chef Linton was already planning the three-course meal she would be making for those children for a Thanksgiving-style dinner. “We’re making it a white tablecloth, farm-to-table meal so they can see where these ingredients came from and at the same time, see what the different levels of service are, using food as a vehicle,” she says. A Christmas event is also in the planning, where shoppers at Meacham Urban Farm retail stores will be able to make a Christmas gift wish come true for one or more of those children. Her hope is to make these programs a monthly event focused on food education and nutrition.
ACF Chef Michael Garahan, CEC , makes healthy food fun for kids through his food “mascots” — cartoon-like characters aligned with healthier choice foods that he showcases to students at elementary schools he visits throughout the country to educate and host cooking demonstrations.
“A lot of kids say they don’t like spinach, but when they’re introduced to it in a Green Goddess smoothie, they realize they like it,” says Chef Garahan, a private chef. The smoothie, which contains spinach, green grapes, pineapple, banana, water and ice, is one of the items he demonstrates in schools. Far from turning their noses up at it, most of the children are coming back for second helpings. When farmers markets are in season, he purchases local, seasonally available produce. Chef Garahan once prepared a selection of purple radishes, roasted beets and roasted carrots for children to sample. Again, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“I get emails from parents requesting more healthy ideas for their kids because their kids love it,” he says. Chef Garahan has prepared kits of broccoli, olive oil and fresh garlic for kids to make at home. That dish replaces traditional broccoli casseroles made with canned cream of mushroom soup — a staple in many households he’s found over the years. His granola recipe, with pecans, almonds, coconut and oatmeal served with yogurt, was also a hit. “We gave the kids a twocompartment cup for their granola and yogurt, and they’re now coming to school with yogurt parfaits instead of processed granola bars,” he says.
“As a result of their introduction to healthy, simple foods, kids are changing their eating habits,” says Chef Garahan. “But it takes time. The Centers for Disease Control says kids need 50 hours of nutritional education a year for behavioral change, but they only get 10 hours per year on average. The repetition is important.”
ACF’s Commitment to Child Nutrition
Planning for next year’s Childhood Nutrition Day and International Chefs Day, both in October, is already underway, thanks to the ACF International Chefs Day Task Force created last year. The task force is the umbrella group for ACF’s commitment to childhood nutrition and an advocate for the ACFEF Chef & Child Initiative. ACF members may apply for Healthy Eating Grants to fund their child nutrition initiatives. Qualified applicants can receive up to $300 per event, and programs can receive up to $2,500 per granting cycle. The next deadline to apply will be March 31. Learn more at acfchefs.org/ partnerships. To learn more about the task force and contact task force Chair Vanessa Marquis, CEC, AAC, visit acfchefs.org/about.
ACF’s Commitment to Child Nutrition
Planning for next year’s Childhood Nutrition Day and International Chefs Day, both in October, is already underway, thanks to the ACF International Chefs Day Task Force created last year. The task force is the umbrella group for ACF’s commitment to childhood nutrition and an advocate for the ACFEF Chef & Child Initiative. ACF members may apply for Healthy Eating Grants to fund their child nutrition initiatives. Qualified applicants can receive up to $300 per event, and programs can receive up to $2,500 per granting cycle. The next deadline to apply will be March 31. Learn more at acfchefs.org/ partnerships. To learn more about the task force and contact task force Chair Vanessa Marquis, CEC, AAC, visit acfchefs.org/about.
