Sodexo’s 2019 Future Chef Challenge is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 16 at Old Bridge High School, 4209 Route 516, Matawan. Students will begin preparing their recipes at 9 a.m.
Fourth and fifth grade students will compete with healthy Mexican-inspired recipes. High school culinary arts students and Sodexo employees will assist the elementary school students.
Ten students from the district’s 12 elementary schools will compete, beginning at 8:30 a.m. when they will prepare their healthy recipes. They will prepare 75 tasting portions and will each place one item on a show plate for judging.
The contest is under the direction of Michelle Feliciano, Sodexo general manager, on-site service solutions.
The national initiative, which is in its ninth year, was created to get students thinking about making healthy food choices while also encouraging them to get active and creative in the kitchen.
Old Bridge students are joining nearly 2,700 other students representing almost 1,400 Sodexo-served school sites in 30 states nationally in this fun and educational challenge.
More than 100 elementary school students submitted healthy Mexican-inspired recipes and the 10 best were selected to participate in the district-wide finals. The students will prepare and present their creations before being assessed on criteria including originality, taste, kid friendliness, and use of healthy ingredients.
Old Bridge joins 266 other school districts across the country holding Future Chefs events throughout February and March. The winning student from each participating district will be considered for 40 regional finalist awards, and the selected regional finalists will vie to become one of five national finalists competing for the public’s vote on SodexoUSA.com.