2022 Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge was a great success!

While healthy eating can be a challenge for kids and parents, elementary school students in Warren County Public Schools used their culinary skills to reimagine their favorite foods by creating original recipes in the 2022 “Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge.” The national initiative, now in its eleventh year, was created to get students thinking about making healthy food choices while also encouraging them to be active and creative in the kitchen. Warren County Public Schools students are joining over 2,500 other students representing more than 1,400 Sodexo-served school sites in 30 states nationally.

Ten students were selected to participate in the district-wide finals event. Finalists prepared and presented their creations before a panel of seven judges representing each elementary school in the district and two school board members. The recipes were assessed on criteria including originality, taste, kid friendliness and use of healthy ingredients. Warren County Public Schools joined 253 other school districts across the country holding Future Chefs events throughout February and March. The winning student was a 5th grade student from Hilda J. Barbour Elementary, Ainsley Wallenfelsz. The winning participant from each nationwide district will be considered for 40 regional finalist awards, and the selected regional finalists will vie to become one of five national finalists competing for the public’s vote on SodexoUSA.com.

“According to the American Heart Association, about one in every three American kids and teens is overweight or obese,” said Stephen Dunmore, CEO North America, Schools, Sodexo. “This staggering statistic demonstrates why it is more important than ever to engage youth to become advocates for their own health.”

Sodexo, the school nutrition partner to over 500 school districts throughout the U.S., is renowned for its work advancing childhood nutrition, health and well-being. In November 2016, Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) named Sodexo “Partner of the Year” based in part on early success on elements of its commitments for increasing healthier food options in the K-12 schools it serves; providing healthier meal options for children at zoo, museum and aquarium locations served by Sodexo; and for its commitment to serve 17 million additional free breakfasts to K-12 students by 2018, which Sodexo met two years early.  In addition, the award recognizes Sodexo’s efforts beyond its PHA commitment including how it has created a culture of health across its extensive network of clients, customers, vendors and employees.

The Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge is just one of the many ways that the company shares its health and well-being expertise with the clients, customers and the communities it serves.

To join the Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge conversation on social media, use #SDXFutureChefs.