Members of the School Food Independence committee held a cook-off and tasting to decide which of three healthy new dishes area schools would be offering to students this fall. The committee is all part of Thompson Health’s "Get Up! Fuel Up!" program that teaches children about healthy food choices and exercise with interactive lessons brought into the classroom by Alyvia Burkey, a health educator and co-chair of the committee along with Todd Fowler of Bloomfield Central Schools.
“Our goal for the committee was to offer one local, plant-based menu item at each participating school by the end of 2010,” said Fowler.
School district food directors Becky Simmons from Canandaigua, Carla Woolston from Marcus Whitman, Beverly Van Etten from Midlakes, Sheila Lowe from Honeoye, Dorrie Dunham from Red Jacket, Janet Elman from Victor and Teresa Corso from Naples teamed up on Monday, Aug. 2 in the Bloomfield Middle High School kitchen to prepare Black Bean Sliders and Spicy Fat Fries; Mexican Beans and Pasta Bake; and Whole Wheat Broccoli and Cheese Calzones.
The recipes were chosen for their appeal to kids, nutritional value and potential to be semi-homemade with fresh local ingredients.
“The Black Bean Sliders won,” said Fowler. Slider are a popular item now, coupled with mixed potatoes (russet and sweet) cut into wedges, spiced up and baked, he said.
