CPS COOKS UP CHANGE

A CPS student prepares a nutritious meal during the Cooking for Change competition. The cooking competition challenges students to prepare great healthy school meals. The program started in the city of Chicago in 2007 and has included more than 20 cities. More than 1,800 culinary students have participated nationwide over the last decade in the Cooking Up Change initiative.
A CPS student prepares a nutritious meal during the Cooking for Change competition. The cooking competition challenges students to prepare great healthy school meals. The program started in the city of Chicago in 2007 and has included more than 20 cities. More than 1,800 culinary students have participated nationwide over the last decade in the Cooking Up Change initiative.

CPS COOKS UP CHANGE

By Safiyyah Muhammad

The Chicago Public School Cooking Up Change culinary initiative is celebrated its 10th Anniversary in making school lunches a little more enjoyable and a lot more nutritious. The anniversary celebration was held at the Skyloft, located in the Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. recently.

According to Tatum Wan, a Cooking for Change media spokesperson, the CPS culinary program is a healthy cooking

competition that started in Chicago in 2007. It has included more than 20 cities and 1,800 culinary students nationwide who have participated in the program over the last decade. Wan said the goal of the competition is to get students involved in menu development in the public school system.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent report expresses a growing concern of obesity among teens. According to the report, more than 12.7 million children and adolescents are obese. Sara Porter, vice president of External Affairs, for Healthy Schools Campaign, said, “One in three American children and teens is overweight or obese, and many students eat up to half their daily calories at school. She further stressed that by challenging student chefs to create healthy and delicious school meals, Cooking up Change puts student voices front and center in the national conversation about school food.”

In spite of school food’s reputation for being unappealing to the palate and to the plate; school meals help to feed children who are faced with hunger issues. Porter said, “For some students, especially in urban areas, school meals are sometimes the only food they will eat all day. School districts today provide breakfast, lunch and even supper meals that are nutritious, delicious and well-balanced to ensure that students are ready for learning and that they receive the nutrients necessary to help them grow.”

The Obama administration’s Healthy Hunger- Free Kids Act, and Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign highlight the importance of implementing standards to ensure the health and wellness of students. USDA standards include foods low in fat,

sodium and sugar. Students are served grain-rich foods, lean proteins, low fat dairy as well as fruits and vegetables that are fresh and locally grown whenever possible.

Porter also said that there is a need for more investment towards school food to keep children healthy. “If we want to provide students with more nutritious, less processed food, we will need to invest more money in improving kitchen facilities and training for food service staff. School food is funded by the federal government and while it has enjoyed bi-partisan support, it seems unlikely that a Trump Administration will be supportive of an increased investment in school food. This makes Healthy

Schools Campaign’s work extremely important, more so now than ever,” she said.

Porter stated that parents’ input in a child’s nutritional development is paramount, emphasizing that parents are the child’s first line of defense for healthy eating. “Parents need to serve as role models and avoid serving their children foods that have a lot of fat, sodium and sugars. They can also ensure that their children get the 60 minutes of exercise daily for overall health. Parents play a critical role in making wellness a central part of the home, school and community experience.”

According to Wan, thirteen local Chicago schools participated in this year’s culinary competition. Roberto Clemente Community Academy High School presented to the judges its South American Roasted Chicken and Rice, Spicy Beans and Zesty Pineapple Toss-up; Manley Career Academy High School showcased its Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Roasted Cabbage with Carrots and Pineapple Crunch; Paul Laurence Dunbar Career Academy High School featured its Baked Chicken D’Bar,

Mighty Cabbage with Carrots and Peach Yo, among others.

The school district serves the winning students’ meal and the winners move on to the national competition in Washington, D.C. where they compete against other teams from all over the

country, at the U.S. Department of Education.

The following are sponsors of Healthy School Campaign’ Cooking up Change: Aramark; Heroes, Aetna and Sammons Financial Group; Champion sponsors RJB Properties and School Health Corporation; Official Education Partner, Chicago Public Schools CTE Culinary Arts Program; Culinary Scholarship sponsor, Washburne Culinary Institute, among others.

To learn more about Cooking For Change, log on

to: www.cookingupchange.org.

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