Today, October 20th, is International Chefs Day. This year, the theme is Healthy Kids – Healthy Future and what better way to celebrate than a cooking workshop teaching kids all about healthy eating.
As part of this celebration, a workshop was held at the Nestlé Learning Lab at The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, our Healthy Kids Program Partner in Ottawa. This was led by our very own Canadian Corporate Chef, Adam Cowan, Nestlé Professional and Registered Dietitian Kate Cole, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager, where 20 kids between the ages of 5 and 7 years old, along with their parents had a chance to participate in this cooking workshop.
The purpose of the day was to let kids be a chef for a day, while learning how to make healthy food choices. Adam and Kate led a fun, interactive and memorable cooking workshop, built around the seven colours of healthy food. The kids personalized their own chef’s hats and discovered why eating a variety of foods is important. To top it all off, the kids participated in identifying, measuring and mixing the ingredients to create and enjoy a delicious and healthy apple muesli. Adam also taught the kids about the joy of cooking, as well as simple kitchen safety.
“Getting kids engaged in cooking and understanding nutrition basics at a young age is a critical step in establishing lifelong healthy living habits,” said Kate.
Globally, Nestlé’s Healthy Kids Program and World Chefs partnered to create a toolkit, which includes healthy recipes and activities for kids with the goal of activating similar workshops in 80 countries around the world. Click here to access the recipe for apple muesli, activity placemat and colour wheel.
Nestlé and World Chef share the same ambition to raise awareness of healthier lifestyles and healthy cooking among school-aged children. They have been partnering since 2014 to bring nutrition, health and wellness to chefs and the people they serve.
The Nestlé Healthy Kids Global Program is part of our commitment to increase children’s awareness, knowledge and understanding of healthy eating and physical activity and their impact on health. Download the Program's Healthy Kids Quest educational program for fun learning activities.
Check out the video below which captures highlights from the celebrations for International Chefs Day.