Celebrating Student Creativity
Cooking up Change challenges high school culinary students to create healthy, delicious meals that meet the real-life requirement of the national school lunch program — and taste great to their classmates.
Started in 2007 as an annual cooking competition, Cooking up Change highlights the ingenuity of student chefs, celebrates the promise of healthy schools and provides a forum for an ongoing, student-centered conversation about the next generation of school meals.
A New Virtual Format
Cooking up Change is now a year-round platform featuring healthy, delicious school meals designed by inspiring student chefs. Hear from these talented students how they designed their meals and prepare a delicious meal at home using a Cooking up Change recipe.
Join students from across the nation!
If you’re interested in submitting a menu for the showcase, please contact Sara Porter at sara@healthyschoolscampaign.org.
#CookingUpChange
Highlighting New School Meal Creations
Check out this selection of new Cooking up Change recipes, photos, videos and more.
Students: Dolores Huerta Foundation’s Kern County Liberated Youth for Empowerment (LYFE)
City: Kern County, CA
HSC is excited to welcome recipes from the Dolores Huerta Foundation’s Kern County Liberated Youth for Empowerment (LYFE) group in California! Kern County LYFE members focused their regional youth-led campaign on working to improve school lunches by making them more accessible, healthy, better-tasting, and culturally-relevant.
Student: Shelbi Johnson
School: Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies
City: Los Angeles
Grade: 11th
Hear from Shelbi Johnson, a junior at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, about how she created her menu of Beef Slider with Peach Jerk Salsa served with Broccoli with Onions and Garlic and Peanut Butter and Banana Roll-Up.
Student: Bryanna Lopez
School: Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies
City: Los Angeles
Grade: 11th
Bryanna Lopez from Los Angeles, California put a Cajun twist on Chicken Alfredo. Try her delicious meal!
Students: Jose Miguel Sandoval Vanegas and Bryan De Leon
School: Greater Egleston Community High School
City: Boston, MA
Two students from Boston Public Schools designed a simple, yet tasty broccoli dish to pair with their pasta and meatballs. Hear how they did it!
Student: Elias Catania
School: Harriton High School
City: Lower Merion Township, PA
Grade: 11th
Elias Catania, an eleventh grader Harriton High School in Lower Merion Township in Pennsylvania, serves a warm peach compote over yogurt for a sweet compliment to his spicy chicken sandwich. Try his menu at home!
Choose a Cooking up Change recipe to share with friends and family at home. Download recipes below.
On the Sweeter Side
Satisfy your craving with these delicious fruity side dishes. …
Legumes Galore
These dishes pair well together to provide a flavorful lunch or side dish. …
Mole Verde (Español)
Receta para Mole Verde de Fatima Leal, Líder de Padres Unidos pare Escuelas Saludables, Escuela Ruiz …
Mole Verde Recipe (English)
Recipe for Mole Verde by Fatima Leal, Ruiz Elementary Parents United for Healthy Schools Leader. …
Cooking up Change 2019 Student Recipes
We couldn’t let the school year go by without hosting the 2019 Cooking up Change competition featuring amazing student chefs and their delicious school meals. …
BBQ Chicken Tacos
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Memphis, Tennessee …
Catfish Tacos with Pico de Gallo
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Jacksonville, Florida …
Cucumber Salad
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Los Angeles, California …
Hot and Sweet Slaw
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Orange County, California …
Jalapeño Infused Peach Crumble
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Denver, Colorado …
Poached Pears
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from St. Louis, Missouri …
Tenacious Turkey Chili
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Winston-Salem, North Carolina …
Buffalo Mac and Cheese
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Wichita, Kansas …
Exotic Island Pears
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Memphis, Tennessee …
Lonestar Chicken Chili Sub
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Houston, Texas …
Spinach and Carrot Slaw
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Jacksonville, Florida …
Super Stewed Apples
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Winston-Salem, North Carolina …
Sweet Potato Fries
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Little Rock, Arkansas …
Zesta Fiesta
Cooking up Change National 2014 recipe from Orange County, California …
Apple Cinnamon Delight
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Memphis, Tennessee …
Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Jacksonville, Florida …
Miyabi Japanese Onion Soup
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Orlando, Florida …
Motherland Esquite
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Orange County, California …
Peach Crunch with Vanilla Drizzle
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Wichita, Kansas …
Tutti Fruity Parfait
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Detroit, Michigan …
Twisted Texas Cabbage and Collard Greens
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Houston, Texas …
Dos Bean Rice Pilaf
Cooking up Change Chicago 2011 recipe from Julian High School …
Haitian Spice Chicken
Cooking up Change National 2015 recipe from Chicago's Marshall High School …
Curry Chicken
Cooking up Change Chicago 2011 recipe from Clemente Community High School
Baked Cajun Mac n Cheese
Cooking up Change Chicago 2011 recipe from Clemente Community Academy.
Elotes Washington
Cooking up Change National 2013 recipe from Chicago, Illinois
Soup of Sunshine
Cooking up Change Chicago 2011 recipe from Richards Career Academy …
New Orleans Chicken and Polenta Napoleon
Cooking up Change Chicago 2012 recipe …
Thank you to our Cooking up Change Showcase sponsors!
Champion
Partner
Clune Construction
Advocate
Cristina Foods, Co.
Get Involved!
Find out more about sponsoring Cooking up Change.