How Healthy Food Works explained to Kids in KSA on International Chefs Day by Nestlé Professional & Worldchefs

Nestlé Professional and Worldchefs, the World Association of Chefs Societies, have teamed up around #InternationalChefsDay on October 20 to promote healthier eating for children all over the world, through cooking events held under the theme of How Healthy Food Works, in line with the Nestlé for Healthier Kidsglobal ambition to help 50 million children live healthier lives by 2030. 

In partnership with Saudi Culinary Association, cooking and educational activities were held at German International School in Jeddah where children learned about cooking with specific foods and their related benefits. Other events in the Middle East are planned to include over four hundred kids in similar sessions in UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

“Our theme this year is How Healthy Food Works. We want to show how food affects our body internally, building on the themes of the last two years - Healthy Foods for Growing up and Healthy Foods for Heroes - and going into more depth on different foods and why our bodies need them,” said International Chefs Day Chair, Chef Joanna Ochniak. 

The eight fruits and vegetables selected for emphasis as cooking ingredients to children this year are: Apples and Oranges for their vitamin C benefits that support developing immune systems; Bananas for their variety of vitamins and minerals that include manganese, magnesium and B-vitamins which are important for strong growth and development; Broccoli for their fiber which helps with digestion; Carrots and Spinach for their vitamin A which contributes to healthy vision; Cucumbers because they are 95% water which helps the body stay hydrated; Mangos as a source of potassium which contributes to normal muscle function. 

“We are very proud to be partnering with Worldchefs in bringing the message of healthy eating to children around the world,” said Roger Frei, Business Executive Officer at Nestlé Professional, Middle East & North Africa. “In collaboration with chefs, we aim to increase awareness of the important and increasingly vital role that cooking plays in providing healthier meals to children, helping them to eat better, firmly establishing healthy food habits and diets as they grow up.”

A recent evaluation[1] of the impact of 2016 International Chefs Day children-geared cooking workshops confirmed their positive effect on children's salad liking across a selection of countries worldwide.

More about Nestlé for Healthier Kids

The Nestlé for Healthier Kids global initiative aims to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030, through leading research in children nutrition, product innovation and the introduction of healthier foods, as well as education and innovative nutrition and lifestyle programs and services developed and implemented with partners around the globe.