Healthy Cooking Contest School Food Category Sponsor: Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality

Check out the winning school meals and healthy cookie »

Overview

At Cooking up Change 2008, teams of high school students studying culinary arts at public schools in Chicago had a chance to show just how tasty – and how healthy – a student-designed menu can be.

This event built on the excitement and enormous success of our first annual Cooking up Change Healthy Cooking Contest in 2007.

The city-wide contest, presented in collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Education to Careers program, began with workshops on healthy cooking techniques and culminated with judging and awards at the benefit on Oct. 23.

Teams of students competed to craft healthy school meals and healthy cookies.

Celebrity judges, audience favorites

The school meal portion of the contest was judged by a panel of local chefs and celebrities, and benefit guests cast their votes for an audience choice award in the healthy cookie category.

Guests had the opportunity to talk with students about the inspiration and ingredients behind their tasty creations, both at team stations and as students presented tastes of their school meals and cookies to guests throughout the evening.

HSC extends our warm congratulations to all of the students who competed and to the winners in every category.

Winning lunch served throughout Chicago high schools

The student-designed school meal that placed first in the contest will be served for lunch in all Chicago public high schools.

The winning entry in the school lunch category of the 2007 contest was served at high schools throughout Chicago on Jan. 30 and March 14, 2008.

The student-created school lunches meet the cost requirements and nutrition guidelines that Chicago food service directors face, as well as the high standards for taste and visual appeal that culinary students strive to achieve.

"The students’ talent, creativity and pride in creating excellent food was absolutely beyond compare," said Rochelle Davis, HSC’s founding executive director. "With Cooking up Change, we're bringing together a fabulous event with something that's very much part of our mission—transforming students' experiences with healthy food."

Preparing the chefs of tomorrow

The culinary teams prepared for the contest with professional development for teachers and in-class visits from chefs and nutrition experts to help equip students for a competition that prioritizes nutrition as well as taste and presentation.

This training, as well as the professional experience of taking part in a culinary competition and presenting food at a benefit, helps prepare students for careers in an increasingly health-conscious culinary world.

"We’re developing students to be the chefs of tomorrow," said Michelle Hassan, past manager for culinary arts of the Education to Careers program. "As our society becomes more health-conscious, these are very valuable skills for them to take into the job market."

In the culinary competition and at the benefit, students find opportunities to showcase their talent.

"It does a lot to develop their self-esteem," said Bernadette Bergren, who teaches culinary arts at Roberto Clemente High Schools and coached one of the 2007 student teams.

"These students are extremely talented, but they don't really have confidence yet. Seeing that enjoyment [when guests enjoy the food] gives them a whole new perspective on what they can do. You should see the pride—it really makes a difference."

---