Healthier school lunches – Let’s Move recipe challenge starts Published Oct. 13, 2010 By Karen Hawkins Defense Commissary Agency Dietitian FORT LEE, Va. -- As your children return to the classroom, wouldn't it be nice if they could enjoy their favorite healthy foods at school? Of course. Well, you can pack it in their lunch bag, but now you may also be able to have it made for them at school. If a recipe includes whole grains, dark green or orange vegetables, or dry beans and peas, consider entering it in the Let's Move! recipe challenge. The Let's Move! campaign, started by First Lady Michelle Obama, is attempting to draw national attention to solving the challenge of childhood obesity. Let's Move!, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is challenging school nutrition professionals, chefs, students, parents and others to create tasty, healthy new recipes for inclusion on school lunch menus across the country. So consider sharing that favorite healthy family recipe to help support the fight against childhood obesity and your family may just win the challenge. You may also send it to the DeCA Dietitian to have it posted at Kay's Kitchen. Healthy recipes will also be shared at www.Commissaries.com. The challenge The recipe creation will be served in school cafeterias and rated by students. Fifteen semifinalist teams will have their recipe evaluated by the Let's Move! judging panel during events held at school, and the top three teams will compete in a national cook-off to determine the grand-prize winner. Semifinalists' recipes will also be posted for online voting by the public to determine a "Popular Choice Winner." Winning teams will be invited to create their recipes with White House chefs. How to enter Teams should include a chef, school nutrition professional, at least one student currently enrolled in grades 4-12 and at least one parent or community member. Each team will create, document and prepare a nutritious and delicious recipe that features one of the three categories: whole grains, dark green and orange vegetables, or dry beans and peas. The recipe will be prepared in the school's cafeteria and served to the majority of those students who participate in the National School Lunch Program. Teams can register online at www.RecipesforKidsChallenge.com by clicking "Sign Up" at the top of the page until Dec. 30. Before the deadline, teams must submit the following via the Submit Recipes tab to enter their recipe for consideration: their recipe, using standard U.S. measurement units and weights; a statement affirming the recipe's originality; description of the student taste testing on school letterhead - with quotes from some participating students; a nutrient analysis; and a photograph of their prepared recipe. Additional rules are available at www.RecipesforKidsChallenge.com.
