YOUTH COOKING SERVICES
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Mission Statement
Kids Cooking For Life teaches nutrition and inspires lifelong healthy cooking and eating habits through hands-on cooking classes to at-risk students.
About This Cause
Kids Cooking for Life was founded in 2009 by an entrepreneur and restaurant owner who was dismayed by kids' growing reliance on convenience and fast food options and the corresponding increase in obesity across the country. We have taught over 10,000 students throughout the San Francisco Bay Area about the importance of healthy eating. Through the following three programs, we aim to enhance health outcomes in the low-income communities we serve. We recognize that both food insecurity and obesity, disparate as they may seem, are real challenges among families and individuals who are threatened by poverty. Food filled with refined grains, added sugars, and fats, are generally inexpensive, more palatable, and readily available in low-income neighborhoods. Since KCL’s inception, we have seen how our classes have become the building blocks for our students' lifelong interest in good health, nutritious food, and a love for cooking. 1. Kids Cooking @ Home - a series of virtual cooking classes committed to healthy eating and home cooking. Kids Cooking @ Home instills confidence and independence to prepare healthy home cooked meals for the family based on KCL’s curriculum on nutrition education and essential skill sets. The program serves kids in low income communities and in Title 1 schools. Students receive their own basic cooking kits with all the ingredients needed for the lessons and utilize their school laptops to partake in this experiential learning. An experienced KCL teacher guides them through recipe reading, measuring, chopping and mixing which will end with a delicious and healthy meal for the family. 2. Together We Cook - a full service program so anyone who shares our mission can successfully teach a child to cook a healthy meal. We provide everything needed- grocery shopping and delivery, full cookware rental, tried and tested recipes based on KCL’s Four Nutrition Pillars and Skills, comprehensive curriculum and teaching instructions minute by minute. All that our partners need is the passion for healthy eating and cooking with children. KCL does all the behind-the-scenes work. Why do we do this? Because the more teachers we train, the more students we reach! 3. Kids Cooking in the Classroom - KCL’s classes are typically offered as an after-school activity and are held at our partner Title One schools and at community centers. Our classes use a dedicated curriculum developed by KCL instructors, many of whom are experts in nutrition, the culinary arts, agriculture & elementary education. Our classes emphasize our four pillars of nutrition: Lean on Protein, Be Sugar Smart, All-in with Whole Grains, and Eat the Rainbow. We use KCL-developed recipes that are relatable (family friendly), repeatable (easy to replicate) and reachable (budget friendly). In all of our programs, we use age-appropriate lesson plans detailing goals, learning objectives, list of supplies & support materials/handouts. Students are exposed to all aspects of food preparation & sanitation, learn about where our food comes from, master knife skills, learn to read and understand nutrition labels, learn about heart health, diabetes prevention and more. Instructors guide students through recipe reading, measuring, chopping and mixing, so that students prepare meals from start to finish. We keep teacher- student ratios small so no child is an idle observer in our experiential learning kitchen.