Here in Merced City School District we have had the opportunity to work with local chefs. A small mini-grant provided the funds we needed to conduct a project that taught fifth grade students the skills to prepare healthy recipes and taught them the benefits of eating healthy. This project was piloted at Ada Givens Elementary School beginning in the Spring of 2009. The success of the program has allowed it to be conducted for three years.
Julie Acker was the energy behind the project. She is the School Cafeteria Manager and she has a passion for sharing her love of healthy cooking. Along with a local chef, Julie conducted a series of cooking classes with her fifth grade students. The recipes prepared included; Orange Banana Smoothies, Tropical Fruit Salad, Veggie Wrap, Strawberry Yogurt Parfait, and many more.
All of the recipes featured fresh veggies and fruits and/or low-fat dairy products. Julie chose these recipes because she knew that her students did not eat enough of these foods.
The cooking classes allowed students to learn knife skills, basic measurements, table setting and reading recipes. In addition, students learned the benefits of eating fresh produce and consuming adequate amounts of low-fat dairy products. Students were expected to take the information they had larned and share the recipes and knowledge with their school community.
After attending the cooking classes, fifth grade students prepared the recipes, developed flyers promoting the health benefits of the recipe and conducted a “taste testing activity” for the K-4th grade students at Ada Givens School. The response from K-4th students was overwhelmingly positive. The students loved the new recipes and enjoyed learning from their fellow students. The project has been so successful that some of the recipes are being adapted and tested for use in the School Meals Program.
Plans are in place to replicate this project at the Chenoweth site for the 2011-2012 school year. I hope to expand the project to include 1-2 more elementary sites in the coming year.
Terri Soares, Registered Dietitian
School Food Service Director
Merced Unified School District
Terri Soares, MS, RD
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About me:
Terri Soares, MS, RD has been a member of both the Superintendent Jack O'Connell's Task Force on Childhood Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease, CDE and the Advisory Committee on Nutrition Implementation Strategies. She has co-chaired the Nutrition Standards Committee of the CA School Nutrition Association. Ms. Soares' experience includes successful management of School Nutrition Programs in four school districts throughout CA. She has a broad base of experience working with school administrators, educators, school nutrition personnel, and community partners to provide nutrition education to students and create a healthy school environment for the schools and their communities. Currently, she is the School Nutrition Director for Merced City School District. She is currently the president of the Central Valley Dietetic Association and has been an active member of the Central Valley Health and Nutrition Collaborative since its inception in 2002. Terri was the state recipient of the California American Cancer Society Special Recognition Award for Youth in 2007.