WELLNESS IN THE SCHOOLS

creating healthier places in which to learn

Programs

wits lab_emily cooking with boy

Cook for Kids offers the following main programs:

WITS Café

Our program within the NYC public school kitchens works to support the implementation of scratch cooking, healthier school lunch recipes and the expansion of salad bars. WITS Cooks work alongside SchoolFood staff in the kitchen, and engage students in conversation around healthy eating, encouraging them to try new foods and menu items. In addition to introducing our healthy menu options and regular WITS Cook support, we also offer a WITS Café Day three times a year. During WITS Café Days one of our restaurant chef partners visits the school to work with WITS Cook, culinary interns and volunteers, and SchoolFood staff on an interactive meal with the students. Each WITS Chef Partner brings something different to Café Day; some chefs introduce the students to new recipes, some conduct cooking demonstrations, and some work to connect with students on a personal level by eating lunch in the cafeteria and talking to kids about nutrition, wellness, and their work as a chef.

WITS Labs

The WITS Labs are the component of the Cook for Kids program that takes place in the classroom. Interactive cooking and nutrition demonstrations are incorporated into the school day for children and in some schools supplemental classes are offered during the evening for parents. In the WITS Labs we introduce children to seasonal produce and have them prepare and taste the produce in a variety of ways: raw, roasted and in a recipe. Recipes are given to children to take home and at least one of the recipes is prepared in the cafeteria during the tasting week. These classes bring children and their families together to learn about healthy cooking and eating, using seasonal produce and inexpensive recipes. The WITS Labs are made possible thanks to the generosity of Whole Foods Marke t and OXO.

WITS BITS

WITS BITS are simple and short (20 minute) classroom experiences that focus on teaching children nutrition-based lessons. WITS Cooks bring demonstrations into the classroom to teach students hands-on lessons about healthy food and eating that allow them to learn by seeing, listening, and doing. Some examples of WITS BITS lessons include: Eating the Rainbow + Salad Bar Introduction and Etiquette; Blubber Burger (teaching children about the fat content in processed foods); Sugar Overload (comparing sugary sodas and sports drinks to water and low-sugar beverages).

PTA Labs

(in partnership with Les Dames d'Escoffier New York)

In partnership with Les Dames d'Escoffier NY (LDNY), an invitational volunteer organization comprised of women of achievement in the food, fine beverage and hospitality professions, WITS has launched its first after-school cooking program for families- the PTA Labs. The PTA Labs focus on educating parents about healthy eating, enabling them to make healthy choices for their children at home. The LDNY collaboration reinforces the Cook for Kids program by reinforcing healthy behaviors learned during the school day outside of the lunchroom or classroom, in a family-style environment. Through a series of demonstrations at selected schools, the PTA Labs teach parents how to select and store vegetables, best use leftovers, choose healthy foods, introduce new foods to children, and also provide them with three quick, easy, and inexpensive recipes they can reproduce at home.

The program provides three cooking demonstrations and nutrition demonstrations during the school year, focusing on seasonally appropriate recipes and ingredients (Fall, Winter, and Spring). Recipes and ingredients are also tailored to the demographics of participating parents. The 4th and final session of the program is a special trip or event for parents and their children, a celebration of the useful knowledge they learned about healthy eating and cooking.

"I want everyone involved in Monday's Wellness Cafe Day lunch to know what a huge success it was with my kids, who are truly super duper particular, scared of new food eaters! My daughter Ella now is requesting school lunch b/c she loves it so much."

-Lisa, PS87 parent