Did you know that only 4% of kids eat enough vegetables? In Sacramento, 40% of children suffer from childhood obesity or are overweight. This directly increases their risk for Type 2 diabetes.
UC Davis Health’s Executive Chef Santana Diaz teamed up with the Food Literacy Center to teach cooking and nutrition in low-income schools. Their goal was to inspire healthy eating habits among kids at highest risk for diet-related diseases.
Diaz participated in the Veggie of the Year Competition. He and fellow chefs provided veggie recipe kits to students and their families so they can cook healthy meals at home together.
Jet Aguirre, executive sous chef for UC Davis Health, joined Diaz to create a mushroom tot recipe.
“Our goal for this recipe was to educate kids that you can eat meals full of vegetables and still have it taste good,” explained Diaz. “Mushrooms are like a sponge. We can inject a lot of flavors from fresh herbs to create that delicious taste and still have it be healthy.”
Diaz and his fellow chefs were able to raise over $40,000. This money will help continue critical programs for local food and nutrition insecure kids and families. Sacramento students and their families are experiencing food insecurity at record rates.
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