Project teaches kids healthy-eating lifestyle
Kids discover there are no bad foods, only bad choices By Kate Lawson, Detroit News Food Writer

Thirteen-year-old Zachary Gedda-Shaheen is up to his elbows in beans and he can't stop smiling. The tall, slender teen leans over a vat of salsa, using his hands to blend a mountain of Michigan beans with chopped tomatoes and spices.

At his elbow stands his Anderson Middle School classmate, Evan Speshock, with a pile of parsley that he's adding to the mix. Speshock adjusts his glasses and rolls up his sleeves, ready to take his turn at the vat.

"I don't think my hands will ever be warm again," Zachary says after several minutes, pulling them from the salsa and noting his bright red skin.

But he doesn't complain. This is the moment he and his seventh-grade classmates from Anderson Middle School in Berkley have been working toward for the past 10 weeks. Later that night, the 25 students from Diane Barrett's Life Studies Class are hosting their very first dinner party, aptly named "Simply Spring," for their families, friends and teachers.

But this evening event, part of the Dinner Party Project from the Spoons Across America program, isn't just about entertaining and putting a meal on the table.

Through the national nonprofit food-based educational program, these students are learning about how their food gets from farm to table, the benefits of good nutrition and fighting childhood obesity, safe cooking skills and the value of sharing family meals.

What each of these 12- and 13-year-olds will take away from the experience long after the dishes are cleared will benefit them throughout their lives.

Programs like this are essential for a generation weaned on fast food and sugary drinks, and for whom nutrition is often an afterthought. An alarming rise in childhood obesity has made it one of the most serious health epidemics in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16 percent of children and adolescents age 2-19 are obese. Over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children age 2-5 and adolescents 12-19, and it has more than tripled for children 6-11.

Further evidence from the National Health and Examination Surveys (NHANES) first conducted from 1976-80 and again in 2003-06 shows that obese children and adolescents are at risk for a host of life-threatening diseases, including cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure and high cholesterol) and Type 2 diabetes, and that they are more likely to become obese as adults.

"The only way to fix this problem is to teach kids how to feed themselves," says Chef Kelli Lewton-Secondino, chef owner of 2 Unique Caterers and Pure Food 2U Organic, one of the local chefs who volunteered to help with the Dinner Party Project.

"So many kids think food comes from a box or a tin. We need to return to real food. We believe we can raise a generation of healthy kids and we can have fun doing it."

Come to the party

Last year Michelle Kobernick, an energetic Huntington Woods mom and businesswoman, first learned of the Spoons Across America program when it was featured on the "Today" show.

"They were talking about a nutrition program where seventh-grade students were involved in the entire process of producing a dinner party for their parents," says Kobernick. "I was intrigued."

She approached Anderson Middle School principal Vince Gigliotti with the idea of bringing the Dinner Party Project to his school. Then she got the official approval from the Spoons organization.

"We got some key people involved to help us with education and sponsorship including a dietitian, St. John Hospital, chefs from local restaurants and Schoolcraft (Community College), Sodexo Food Service and Whole Foods," says Kobernick. "Everyone we approached was eager to lend a hand."

But no one was more excited than the students in Barrett's class. Not only did they learn about the importance of shopping locally and choosing organic fresh foods, they went on a field trip to Whole Foods market and got the opportunity to see, touch, smell and taste some of the products that until now were completely foreign to them.

Shaking bad habits

For 10 weeks prior to the party, the students learned to plan all aspects of their dinner along with their teacher, chefs Kelli (Lewton-Secondino), Tim Voss (executive chef of the former Fiddleheads) and Shawn Loving (chef instructor at Schoolcraft), as well as Amanda Musilli from Whole Foods Market and nutritional consultant and registered nurse, Stacy Goldberg. Even the assistant superintendent of schools, Nancy Campbell, taught a course on etiquette and napkin folding.

"I believe there are no bad foods, only bad habits, and I believe that moderation is the key," says Goldberg, who taught the children about nutrition and portion control.

"I was amazed to see that the school cafeteria's serving of French fries was four times the amount of the recommended serving," she says. "I used visual aids so that they could grasp the idea that a 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Ten french fries equals one serving; we did the math and it really helped them understand. Plus, I was astonished that they were regarding the fries as a vegetable serving."

"You know, we use junk food as a reward for doing well," echoes Chef Kelli. "We tell them 'If you do well on that test, I'll take you to McDonald's. Or, here's a Coke.' Giving children bad food for good behavior is killing them. Instead of sneaking nutrition into your child's diet, why not encourage healthy eating habits? Teaching them how to be responsible in their diets will serve up rewards long into adulthood."

Goldberg also taught the class how to read food labels and focused her lessons on My Pyramid for Kids.

"We talked about the importance of whole grains. I familiarized them with the (food) Pyramid, we talked about getting enough calcium and about applying nutrition to everyday life. It made them think twice before they grabbed a snack," she says.

"I think the most important result of this class was that the kids learned they needed to take responsibility for their own health," says Goldberg. "That being healthy is fun.."

The big night

Just before the dinner, the Anderson Middle School cafeteria kitchen buzzes and bustles under the expert eyes of Chef Kelli and Chef Tim as the students work in tandem, tossing, plating and garnishing the Bibb lettuce salads with strawberries, oranges, sprouts and seed. Trays of chicken breasts, marinated in citrus and herbs, are loaded into hot ovens. Fresh asparagus is prepared with a quinoa bake for seasonal sides, and dessert is gorgeous hand-decorated cupcakes.

"This night can't be wrong," says a proud Kobernick. "Even if they burn the whole dinner, the event will be a success."

Peter Bahry's mother, Nancy, says that until her son became involved in the class project he never paid attention to what he ate. "Now he's reading labels and telling me what foods are good for him and what aren't," she says. "I'm so impressed with what he's learned."

Indeed, there's a pervasive feeling of pride of a job well done.

"I didn't think he could do it, but I'm really proud," says Jeanette Sesi of her son, Art. Art can only smile when asked about his favorite part of the evening. "Eating," he says between bites.

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