Several of the nation’s leading celebrity chefs are teaming up to fight childhood obesity in Orange County public schools. Working through Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), the chefs will turn up the heat in school kitchens to make cafeteria food look and taste better but with fewer calories and fat.
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) thinks the OCPS Chef Initiative is so progressive that it could be a model for districts nationwide. SNA calls the collaboration among OCPS Food Service and International Corporate Chefs Association, the American Culinary Federation, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, and the Research Chef Association a powerful combination that is a recipe for success.
Chefs have started their work with food service managers at 15 different schools. The goal is to design appealing menu choices, training manuals, and nutrition education programs that promote healthy eating and low-fat food preparation.
Inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign and Chefs Move to Schools, chefs have already done their initial visits to assigned schools and started planning with food service managers.
“This is the first time in history that the chefs’ associations of our nation have come together for a common cause,” stated Kevin Ryan, executive director of the International Corporate Chefs Association of America. “First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative has attracted some of the most talented chefs in the nation to help curb childhood obesity. Our pilot program with Orange County Public Schools will help to blaze a path for other school districts to follow.”
The chef/food service manager teams are already working on modifying pizza Chefs and Lora 4served to students and tomato sauce used in menu choices. The chefs are making at least two brainstorming visits to their assigned schools and consulting with the school’s food service managers on the potential impact of cost, labor, and other factors.
“As chefs, we have been given the unique opportunity by our nation’s leaders to share our food knowledge and nutrition expertise with school officials and to play our part in the fight to end childhood obesity in America,” said Michael Ty, American Culinary Federation national president. “We are proud to have 11 of our members join other leading chef organizations in the pilot launch of this program. The healthful recipes and training developed will spread throughout Orange County and across the nation bringing needed change to our school food service programs.”
The new food selections, programs, and training courses debut in January 2011. “We are always seeking new ideas and creative ways to promote healthy lifestyles for our children,” said Lora Gilbert, Director of OCPS FNS. “We are excited to create the Chef Initiative model and develop a system for other chefs who want to work with us.”
Participating chefs in the OCPS FNS Initiative are:
- Joe Alfano, executive sous chef, Universal Orlando Resort CITYWALK
- Michael Bersell, chef de cuisine, Walt Disney World
- Kathleen Blake, corporate chef, Urban Flats & board member of the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR)
- Marcos Colon, restaurant chef, Latin Quarter Universal Orlando Resort CITYWALK
- Ed Colleran, executive sous chef, Universal Orlando Resort – Studios
- Thomas Gentile, chef formerly of Disney and Aramark, designing his own Winter Springs restaurant
- Jason Gronlund, senior director of culinary, Carla’s Pasta
- Steve Jayson, vice president & corporate executive chef, Universal Parks & Resorts
- Gary Jones, dietary specialist, Walt Disney World
- David Nina, CEC, CCE, AAC, Florida Hospital’s Celebration Health
- Kevin Ryan, executive director of the International Corporate Chefs Association
- Chris Skolmutch, lead culinary developer, Mars Foods
- Josh Turek, certified culinary & pastry chef, Le Cordon Bleu
- Debbie Vignone, owner/operator, Young Chefs Academy
Participating OCPS food service managers and the pilot schools are:
- Tracy Williams – Apopka High
- Charlene Michelman – Avalon Middle
- Karen Rich – Bridgewater Middle
- SueAnne Williams – Corner Lake Middle
- Ollie Brown – Dommerich Elementary
- Daniel Isaac – Dr. Phillips Elementary/Southwest Middle
- Denise Berrisford – East Lake Elementary
- Sharon Springer – Liberty Middle
- Sharon Rouse – Metrowest Elementary
- Scottie Ferguson – Oak Ridge High
- Nancy Brumbaugh – Ocoee High
- Lenworth Brown – Olympia High
- Paula Pendergast – Wekiva High
- Bettye Love – Whispering Oak Elementary
- Lisa Douglas – Wolf Lake Elementary
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) will share what’s developed in OCPS with its 53,000 nutrition professional members working in school districts across the country. SNA is promoting the Chefs Move to Schools initiative and developing a Chefs’ Table leadership panel to access the knowledge and experience of these talented professionals. As a result, the participating culinary organizations which represent thousands of chefs, are willing to send chefs into other school districts to effect change in school menu choices.
OCPS FNS serves more than 26 million meals and snacks each year. That is approximately 143,000 breakfast and lunch meals daily. The department brings in more than $45 million in federal dollars to the school district, providing award-winning programs with recognitions from the USDA “Best Practice” award for increasing student meal participation by 40%, the USDA “Best Practice” 2010 and 2011 awards for Promoting a Healthy School Environment, and Peta2 Award for being one of the top five school districts in the country to offer vegetarian options.
