By: Marge Robison, RD
“If you only think outside the box, you will always wonder what’s inside. Keep your options open.” This quote by author Lorenzo Victory could be a mantra for two of our popular Pisanick Partners programs where we engage participants with ingredients in a box.
I’m sure you’ve seen the many subscription box businesses where you can get periodic deliveries of curated goods in which subscribers eagerly await their monthly deliveries. Whether it be clothing, cosmetics, food, or pet goods the unboxing brings excitement and wonder (and gets the tail wagging!) at the possibilities that can be mustered with the box items. We’ve witnessed this same excitement when participants of our Mystery Chef Box Competition and Out of the Box Cooking Series open their boxes.
For the 3rd year in a row, we are embarking on our Mystery Chef Competition. In this friendly competition (although bragging rights are allowed!) about a dozen schools in Northeast Ohio are given a box of curated ingredients and asked to create a school-friendly recipe. This allows them to take the knowledge they have outside of the box to get creative and think of the possibilities with the ingredients inside the box. It fosters building skills around scratch cooking and thinking creatively about recipe development. This type of activity is also used for engaging professional development training by our team.
You can hear the oohing and aahing when this team's box gets opened and the creative process ignited. Participating schools submit written recipes, videos on the recipe creation process, and student taste-testing. Competition is always tight, but a winner is crowned.
Our second program that gets participants thinking about what is in the box is our Out of the Box Cooking Series. In partnership with Lorain County Head Start, we have been doing this series as a family engagement activity that provides ingredients for a recipe in a box. Participants watch a video in which the recipe is demonstrated by a team dietitian and a chef. Along the way, they provide culinary tips and nutrition education.
Families enjoy the opportunity to explore new foods and recipes and engage in the kitchen with their children. Sessions have been built around themes such as: making homemade favorites like homemade pizza and macaroni and cheese; recipes for a better breakfast and healthier snacks; soup and salad; and building a balanced plate.
One parent on an evaluation of the program stated, “This is my favorite program the Head Start offers. I love doing them”. The wonderment of what is in the box by participants of these programs has led them to more options for learning with LOTS OF FUN included!
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