Urban School Food Alliance Transforms School Meals at Third-Annual Cooking for Healthy Kids Training

School Nutrition Professionals Gain Culinary Expertise to Elevate Student Dining Nationwide

Washington D.C. – May 22, 2025 – The Urban School Food Alliance (USFA), in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), proudly hosted its third-annual Cooking for Healthy Kids training from April 7-11, 2025, at the CIA’s San Antonio campus. This transformative event brought together 24 dedicated school nutrition professionals from large, urban school districts across the United States to elevate the quality of school meals through hands-on culinary training.

The week-long program focused on enhancing culinary expertise, promoting healthier eating habits among students, and improving the flavor and presentation of school meals. Attendees participated in dynamic workshops designed to encourage the consumption of plant-based meals in schools.

The agenda included:

• Day 1: Mastering mise en place and knife skills to build a strong culinary foundation.
• Day 2: Techniques for making vegetables more appealing and incorporating plant-based proteins.
• Day 3: Exploring the variety and versatility of whole grains in school menus.
• Day 4: Crafting better sandwiches and using herbs and spice blends to reduce sodium while boosting flavor.
• Day 5: Creating vibrant salads, followed by awards and program evaluations.

This year’s training empowered participants to return to their districts with new skills and innovative ideas, ready to train their teams and inspire a nationwide movement toward healthier, tastier school meals. Feedback from past events underscores the program’s impact, with attendees noting significant improvements in their teams’ culinary capabilities and renewed enthusiasm for their work.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Culinary Institute of America to equip school nutrition professionals with the tools to transform school dining,” said Jeremy West, MS, SNS, Chief of Finance and Operations for USFA. “These participants are poised to make a lasting impact on their districts, fostering healthier eating habits for students across the country.” The USFA extends its heartfelt gratitude to our financial partners, like The Rachael Ray Foundation, whose generous support makes impactful training events like these possible.

The Urban School Food Alliance remains committed to advancing school nutrition through innovative programs like Cooking for Healthy Kids. To learn more about USFA’s mission and initiatives, visit UrbanSchoolFoodAlliance.org.

A full video recap of the Cooking For Healthy Kids Culinary Training event can be found below, or on YouTube HERE, and alongside additional videos from the event on our YouTube Channel HERE.

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