Chefs Move to Schools

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled new efforts to expand the Chefs Move to Schools program, a program that teams up chefs and schools, to educate children about healthy eating.

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled new efforts to expand the Chefs Move to Schools program, a program that teams up chefs and schools, to educate children about healthy eating.

Joined by renowned chef Tom Colicchio, six “Top Chef” chef contestants and members of the Dallas Cowboys at Kleberg/Rylie Recreation Center in Dallas, Mrs. Obama participated in a “Top Chef”-style cook-off with students from the Dallas Independent School District, which has earned more Healthier US School Challenge Gold Awards than any other district in the country.

Today, the Chefs Move to Schools website, www.chefsmovetoschools.org, was also unveiled. Full disclosure: the Lempert Report was involved in creating the site. The site is a one-stop shop for chefs and schools, allowing them to sign up for the program; access training, recipes and resources; and learn how chefs and schools across the country are partnering to create healthier school environments.

??“Chefs Move to Schools has been a huge success with thousands of chefs teaming up with schools to prepare healthier meals and teach students about healthy eating, and now we’re excited to take this program to the next level,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “ChefsMoveToSchools.org will make it even easier for chefs to connect with schools and share ideas with each other. So I’m counting on chefs and schools across our country to go to the website, sign up, and start cooking!"

The site was created thanks to a new coalition of leading culinary, nutrition and school organizations that will oversee the Chefs Move to Schools program. Leading the coalition is the American Culinary Federation and School Nutrition Association. Also joining is Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN), The Culinary Trust, Harvard School of Public Health, International Corporate Chefs Association, SupermarketGuru|The Lempert Report, National Food Service Management Institute, Partnership for a Healthier America, Share Our Strength and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Chefs Move to Schools program began in June 2010 as part of the Let’s Move!   initiative, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. Through the program, chefs partner with schools in their communities and work with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals to help educate kids about food and nutrition. The goal of the program is to promote chefs as the catalyst for creating a new nation of child food advocates and start turning the tide on unhealthy eating behaviors.

Approximately 3,400 chefs and 3,350 schools across the nation have signed up for the program to date. Together, chefs and schools have developed gardens, introduced salad bars to cafeterias, created healthier school meal recipes, hosted educational demonstrations and empowered kids with the knowledge they need to make healthy decisions.

Check out the Chefs Move to Schools website here: www.chefsmovetoschools.org.