Shake off that sugar coma, it’s time for food-ucation! RFRK takes time to teach kids about why it is so important to understand food.

Edu-Caterers

The folks at Real Food for Real Kids are serving up some fresh ideas
By Jeff Cameron

Twenty years ago stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr drew laughs from audiences by championing moms who solved a kid’s problem by feeding them excess amounts of junk food and letting them sleep it off in a sugar coma. Today this joke has certainly lost its lustre, as over that same twenty-year period child obesity rates in North America have almost tripled and juvenile diabetes cases continue to mount. As startling figures such as these have begun to seep their way into society’s consciousness, more and more parents are becoming increasingly vigilant about what their kids are eating.

One such parent, well ahead of the curve, is Lulu Cohen-Farnell, founder and president of Real Food for Real Kids (RFRK). RFRK is a program that offers healthy, made-from-scratch catering options to childcare facilities, elementary schools and camps across the GTA. The inspiration behind Lulu and her husband, co-founder and CEO David Farnell, starting up RFRK occurred during their search for a suitable childcare facility for their son Max. They were shocked to find that everywhere they looked the menus offered were predicated on processed foods seriously lacking in nutritional value.

“We wondered what it would take to create something totally different, because it was clear that the catering program these kids needed didn’t exist yet. Rather than processed, frozen and canned, we thought that little bodies would be better built with meals that focused on fresh, all natural, whole, healthy and locally grown foods. We called this model Real Food for Real Kids. The premise was to provide childcare centres and schools with a daily delivery of fully cooked lunches, prepared snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables. All of it would be free of chemical preservatives, artificial colouring, fake sweeteners, synthetic ingredients and factory-farmed meats.”

In addition to their efforts of providing kids with healthy, all natural food to eat, they also take the time to teach kids about why it is so important to understand food. RFRK’s non-profit education program aims to transform how children view the food they eat through such initiatives as hands-on cooking and nutrition workshops, and farm and market field trips that connect children, their families and caregivers with the lifecycle of food.

Through fun, interactive activities children are taught skills such as how to create a composter or how they can train their taste buds. As is often  the case with lessons and materials developed for young children, some of the concepts involved would also benefit adult audiences. (How many people know what quinoa is, or how to properly read food labels?) With Lulu, David and their amazing and dedicated Real Food team leading the way, hopefully one day the fast food model for feeding kids will seem as dated and unpopular as a certain aforementioned comedian.

Healthy snack: Banana Pop

Cut a whole banana in half and insert a popsicle stick in the end of it. Dip in applesauce, yoghurt or almond butter and roll the whole thing in granola.

Healthy snack: Rice Cake Super Hero

 Cover a rice cake with cream cheese and kids can create a face on it with different veggies (i.e., red pepper mouth, cherry tomato nose, etc.)