EatWell@School Initiative
LiveWell Colorado launched the EatWell@School Cooking Competition with Denver Public Schools high school students to raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating at school. The 2011 competition will culminate with a fundraising luncheon December 8 to honor the student competitors and raise funds for LiveWell Colorado’s ongoing mission of promoting healthy eating and active living. Click here to see a video and photos from the 2010 competition.
The Challenge
Obesity rates, especially among children and adolescents, have steadily climbed since the early 1990s. While Colorado is touted as the “leanest state” in the nation, its obesity rates are still alarming. Over 55 percent of Colorado adults are either obese or overweight, as are one quarter of our children. And we’re getting worse. If obesity trends continue, only 35 percent of Coloradoans will be a healthy weight by 2017.
Among many factors contributing to obesity, American families have lost sight of the importance of cooking, creating fresh and healthy meals together that nourish the body. Parents are overworked and lack the resources needed to prepare nutritious meals; at the same time, they are challenged to expand their children’s taste and appreciation for food beyond those that are packaged, frozen or served in a paper bag.
Today, many children eat two of three meals at school. But school districts are experiencing dwindling resources for students and are often challenged to feed a large student population with little funding. Because of this, schools frequently find it challenging to serve food that is affordable, nutritious and appealing to students.
The Solution: EatWell@School Initiative
LiveWell Colorado has developed a nine-week healthy cooking competition for Denver Public Schools high school students to take on the challenge of healthy school meals as well as providing cooking and nutrition skills that will last a lifetime.
Led by Johnson and Wales volunteer chef mentors, students from Manual High School, Bruce Randolph High School, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School and Martin Luther King Jr Early College will learn how to prepare a healthy and delicious school meal. Student teams will prepare school lunch menus that align with the standards for public school lunches, including meeting or exceeding USDA nutrition guidelines and staying within similar budgets.
The EatWell@School competition will culminate as the winning team’s lunch is served at LiveWell Colorado’s first-annual fundraising luncheon on December 8, 2011, and the top teams are recognized.
Intended to raise awareness of LiveWell Colorado’s mission and supporting work, EatWell@School will also highlight schools as an ideal place to help children and adolescents develop healthy eating and active living habits. Ultimately, students will demonstrate to attendees the ease of preparing healthy, tasty and affordable school meals while highlighting the challenges and reform still needed.
More Information
For more information on sponsorship, purchase tables or tickets, please contact Becky Grupe at 720.353.4120 ext. 209 or beckygrupe@livewellcolorado.org.
