Kids Create Own Healthy Recipes to Win National Contest
Healthy Kids Challenge and Del Monte announce winners of their national recipe contest, Stirring Up Health. Over 2,000 middle school students developed their own healthier recipes. The contest is representative of the First Lady's challenge to develop simple solutions to combat childhood obesity.
Wichita, KS (Vocus) April 22, 2010
Healthy Kids Challenge, a leading non-profit educating families to eat, move and enjoy a healthier balanced lifestyle, has announced the winners of their 8th annual Stirring Up Health national recipe contest that started last fall at the beginning of the new school year.
Almost 2,000 middle school students from across the country participated in creating or modifying existing recipes using healthy ingredients from the contest sponsor, Del Monte. Students were asked to incorporate Del Monte canned fruits, vegetables or tomato products as a primary ingredient.
The five winners included middle school classroom teams from New Jersey and Hawaii, as well as individual contestant winners from Hawaii, Ohio and Oregon.
Dietitian and director of Healthy Kids Challenge, Vickie L. James, R. D., L. D. exclaimed, “Our recipe contest is a perfect example of what Michelle Obama is calling for to end childhood obesity through fun, real world solutions to help change habits for a lifetime. Healthy Kids Challenge is excited to be answering the First Lady’s call to help America’s kids!”
Each of the winners will receive a presentation at their school from a Johnson & Wales University culinary chef who will prepare the winning recipes with assistance from the students. The presentations inspire kids to take the Healthy Kids Challenge’s “eat, move and enjoy healthy balance” message and make it a daily reality.
“The Stirring Up Health recipe contest was a good learning experience,” said Jennifer Klaus, a family and consumer science teacher from Ontario Middle School in Ontario, Ohio. I made the recipe contest part of a class assignment.” Her student, 7th grader, Hannah Beh, was one of the five selected national winners.
Sarah Ludmer, RD, LD, Senior Nutritionist for Del Monte Foods said, “Getting kids involved in the kitchen provides an opportunity for families to spend more time together. It can also get kids interested in learning about and trying new fruits and vegetables. The Stirring Up Health recipe contest is one more way that Del Monte is delivering against its mission of nourishing families and enriching lives every day.”
The winners and their recipes are Hannah M. Beh from Ontario Middle School, Ontario, Ohio with Healthy Breakfast Pita Pockets; Matt R. Bernards from Yamhill-Carlton Intermediate School, Yamhill, Oregon with a Fruity Quinoa Salad; Christine Kim, Alexandra Scarangella and Shannon Herbert from Charles Dewolf Middle School, Old Tappan, New Jersey for Fruity Snowballs; Conrad “Kaleo” Salazar for Spinach Spin-Wheels and Joshua & Micah Davis for the Healthy Kid’s Cocktail Cubes, all from Pahoa High & Intermediate School, Pahoa, Hawaii.
“Having basic cooking skills with a focus on health can provide an indelible skill that leads to lifelong healthier habits and a lot of fun,” said James. “If kids learn confidence in the kitchen, and can enjoy being active and choosing healthy foods from an early age, they are much more likely to continue such practices in adulthood.”
Full recipes can be found on the Healthy Kids Challenge Website, www. healthykidchallenge. com.
About Del Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest and most well-known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food and pet products for the U. S. retail market, generating approximately $3.6 billion in net sales in fiscal 2009. With a powerful portfolio of brands including Del Monte®, S&W®, Contadina®, College Inn®, Meow Mix®, Kibbles 'n Bits®, 9Lives®, Milk-Bone®, Pup-Peroni®, Meaty Bone®, Snausages® and Pounce®, Del Monte products are found in eight out of ten U. S. households. The Company also produces, distributes and markets private label food and pet products. For more information on Del Monte Foods Company (NYSE: DLM) visit the Company’s website at www. delmonte. com.
Del Monte. Nourishing Families. Enriching Lives. Every Day.
About Healthy Kids Challenge
Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC), a nationally recognized nonprofit, helps school, community, business, and health leaders take action for kids to eat, move, and enjoy a healthy balance. Created by registered dietitians, Healthy Kids Challenge offers solutions through workshops, events, toolkits, a website, newsletters and programming. Six healthy eating and active play practices make teaching and learning simple and fun.
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