Kids Taking Over Kitchen with Chef Michael Flores
04/06/2010
The Junior League of San Antonio will host its third annual Kids in the Kitchen event at Pearl Farmer’s Market, Saturday April 10 from 9:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. It's an education initiative to teach kids how to eat healthy and stay active. The children will participate in hands-on activities, including the preparation of practical healthy meals led by renowned chef Michael Flores.
Chef Flores will conduct a hands-on cooking station, where the kids will learn how to create their own healthy snacks or meals. After graduating with honors from the Culinary Institute of America, Michael found success as a chef, author, television personality, culinary instructor and the owner of a specialty foods company. He was also recently named as spokesperson for the Texas Department of Agriculture’s GO TEXAN Watermelon Campaign.
“The goal of Kids in the Kitchen is to provide children with practical tools that will help them make healthy choices,” said Anna-Melissa Cavazos, President of the Junior League of San Antonio. “The Junior League of San Antonio is pleased to have partners like Chef Michael Flores, who are teaching children the habits and skills they need to lead healthier lives.”
Chef Flores and League members will discuss with the kids the importance of healthy eating and the benefits of an active life. The children will be taught the importance of the food pyramid and exercise, create recipes, discover the process of growing food from a farmer, and take home lots of goodies. "Childhood obesity is so high, so it’s very important to start healthy eating habits at a young age," said Michael Flores. Organizers say nearly one-third of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Even more alarming is that childhood obesity has been shown to be the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, is associated with Type II diabetes, and increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
The nationwide Kids in the Kitchen initiative is designed to address the growing issues of childhood obesity and poor nutrition at the local level. It also builds on a Junior League tradition of working to improve childhood nutrition. Chef Flores will lead two sessions, which will take place The Pearl Farmer’s Market on 200 East Grayson Street.
About The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc.
The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) is an organization of women whose Mission is to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women and improve communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. For more information about the Kids in the Kitchen program, visit www.ajli.org.
About Michael Flores
Michael Flores has taken a childhood passion for cooking and turned it into an evolving lifelong profession in the culinary arts. Despite his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America, Michael focuses on providing simple solutions for encouraging families to get back to the table. He is a cooking enthusiast who spends every free moment in the kitchen creating wonderful meals for friends and family. For more info on Michael Flores, visit www.CookwithMichael.com or contact Richie Matthews, DiálogoPR at richie@prdialogo.com or (858) 456-5552.