Nutritional Education Program for Parents, Children and Chefs
As we all know we have a national crisis in the way our children eat, creating problems for schools, insurance companies, healthcare institutions and most of all the children themselves. Being in Central California in the heart of the produce capital of the world and one of the most reputable restaurant areas in the world, we have the resources, talent and desire to be leaders in the solution to this problem. This program can be expanded to include programs for schools and healthcare organizations.
The Culinary Center of Monterey and the Monterey Culinary Arts Foundation have designed a program to help families deal with this epidemic. Outlined below is a unique and multi faceted program that involves many parts of our community. Instead of just telling kids what they should eat it involves parents and chefs.
Program offers
- Free monthly cooking classes for children
- Free monthly seminar dinners for parents on planning healthy eating, strategies to get children to make healthier choices.
- Free quarterly classes for chefs on creating healthier children’s menus in restaurants
Cooking classes for children will be ½ day sessions at the Culinary Center of Monterey under the direction of certified chef instructors. These hands on classes are a fun and exciting way of creating healthier eating habits while introducing children to new flavors and textures. Always having a focus on kitchen safety and sanitation the chef will lead the children through a variety of recipes and cooking techniques, ending in a meal for the children and a parent. Each session is limited to 30 children. Ages 6 – 11 and 12- 16. Cost of the class is covered by the Monterey Culinary Arts Foundation. Any Monterey, Santa Cruz or San Benito County Child can enter on line or by sending in a 3 – 5 card. Winners will be selected by drawing.
Free monthly seminars for parents will go beyond the recipes and help parents with strategies for changing their families eating habits using tips, ideas, sample menus, portion control, planning for seasonal shopping, cooking tips and techniques. And, most importantly – how to get buy in from the kids. Chefs will give suggestions on how to get children involved in menu planning and preparation at all age levels. Theses seminars will be open to 100 participants in each session. The seminars are 2.5 hours in length are held at and include dinner at the Culinary Center of Monterey. The dinner menus will be family meals that kids will enjoy. Guest presenters will include chefs, nutritionists and child psychologists. Any Monterey, Santa Cruz or San Benito County Parent can enter on line or by sending in a 3 – 5 card. Winners will be selected by drawing.
Quarterly Classes for Chefs will grant continuing education units for chefs attending. The focus of this 2 hour class will be to change the typical kid’s menu items from pizza, hamburgers and chicken nuggets to nutritious items kids will eat. To invoke change we have to involve everyone who is involved in preparing meals for our children. Children get the message from restaurant after restaurant that these are the things “children should eat”, or that these are the only things they will like, as the same items are offered on every menu.
The objective is to have all restaurants in these three counties changing kid’s selections to healthy kid friendly items supporting what parents, medical institutions and schools are trying to promote.
How will this be promoted:
- The Local News and Cable Channels
- Public Service Announcements on TV and Radio
- Local Programming, i.e. your town, news
- Culinary Center of Monterey Web Site
- Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Web site and Mailings
- Newsletters and Mailings of Participating Medical Organizations
- School Newsletters, Children’s take home materials in public and private schools.
- The American Culinary Federation News Letter
Use of program recipes and tips on web sites or on promotional materials during the month of sponsorship
The objective will be to offer these classes more often as we add sponsorships. Monthly would be the ideal. At the culinary center we have learned a lot about kids eating habits through our classes for children. Chef Mary Pagan has spent a lot of time over the last year developing recipes and menus for kids through her work with School Districts in developing menus and recipes. Chef Mary has interviewed many children in the San Jose School District about their eating habits, what they eat at home, what restaurants and fast food eateries they choose. What she has found is that the problem starts at home and is compounded by schools and restaurants. Is this the complete answer to the entire problem, no, but it is a big start in the right direction.
This program will reach many people for some real hands on changes. In a community such as ours rich in agricultural resources we have the opportunity to invoke a start to some real change. We would like to offer this class for a period of three years initially, and expand depending on demand.
Monterey Culinary Arts Foundation
Schedule of Classes
|
Parents |
Kids |
Chefs |
January |
15th |
20th |
21st |
February |
19th |
17th |
- |
March |
18th |
30th |
24th |
April |
22nd |
20th |
- |
May |
20th |
10th |
12th |
June |
24th |
28th |
- |
July |
8th |
12th |
7th |
August |
12th |
3rd |
- |
September |
23rd |
27th |
29th |
October |
7th |
27th |
- |
November |
4th |
1st |
10th |
December |
2nd |
6th |
- |