Food Justice: Vetri Cooking Lab Helping Children Make Healthier Food Decisions

Video By: Ashley Alex and Tanjeen Twinkle

Pennsylvania has the 24th highest adult obesity rate in the nation and the 21st highest obesity rate for youth, ages from 10 to 17 in 2017, accounting for 16.8% percent of the total of Pennsylvania children population from the ages 10 to 17 having obesity, according to The State of Obesity data.

The State of Obesity Foundation stated that the Nutrition Standards and Dietary Guidelines for Americans are published every five years and provide baseline nutritional standards. Across the country, 34 states and Washington D.C. have regulations requiring licensed Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs to provide meals and snacks that meet the dietary guidelines.

However, Pennsylvania does not have any laws and regulations requiring licensed ECE programs to provide meals and meet dietary guidelines for children, according to the foundation. These Nutrition and Dietary regulations are created for children to prevent obesity and provide them with healthier options to eat when they are in school or not at home.

There is an organization on 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where their mission is to help kids experience the connection between healthy eating and healthy living. The organization is called Vetri Community Partnership, and their initiative is to empower children and families to lead healthier lives through fresh food, hands-on experiences, and education. Also, they work with children from 10-17 years-old to help them understand the value of healthy living through healthy meals.

Vetri Cooking Lab Student Making Cheese and Rice Tortilla Wraps

Photos By: Tanjeen Twinkle and Ashley Alex

Vetri Community Partnership envisions healthier children with fewer obesity-related health issues, who will become empowered adults who can then pass nutritional eating habits onto their children. The organization is committed to breaking the cycle of poor eating habits passed down from generation to generation.

Vetri Community Partnership has many programs to help educate children about healthy and fresh food, where they can get it, and how they can make healthy meals. There is a program named the Vetri Cooking Lab, which is an out-of-school time program that combines cooking, nutrition education, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) core concepts. This program has been going on for three years.

The Vetri Cooking Lab Program is a 10-week curriculum that engages students from fourth grade and up. The program uses recipes to teach valuable nutrition lessons, such as whole vs. processed foods, the importance of breakfast, reading nutrition labels, added sugar, food marketing, and more.

Vetri Cooking Lab Program Manager, Celia Mason, joined this organization in October of 2017 as a Vetri Cooking Lab instructor. Then, she became the Cooking Lab Program Manager in March.

“Our initiative is really to kind of break down the myth that healthy and delicious are mutually exclusive. We really want students to come into the classroom and be empowered to pick up a knife and learn real skills that they can take back home and learn how to cook for themselves,” says Mason.

Vetri Community Partnership survey stated that students report an increase in culinary confidence and that if the students are more confident in the kitchen, then they will have better health outcomes because they can cook for themselves at home.

“We just want to empower the students to cook and learn that vegetables can be delicious. Also, use the classroom and the kitchen as a place to bring us together and have a conversation about food. After the program is over, the students leave the classroom as educated food consumers, who are inspired to make healthier decisions about the food they purchase, cook, and eat,” says Mason.

Vetri Community Lab Instructor, Tracy Rogusky, worked with Vetri Community Partnership for two years. She saw how the children would change from the start of the program until the end when they learned to cook many recipes by themselves.

“My favorite aspect of the program is teaching the children and to see kids enjoy themselves. Also, enjoy their teamwork, learning the skills of cooking, learning nutrition, and lessons as part of the program. They really get into it, and they have a lot of fun,” says Rogusky.

A Vetri Cooking Lab Student, Hassaanah Chandler, 11, of Philadelphia, has been going to Vetri Cooking Lab for two years. She likes that the program teaches them new things every time they meet and how hands-on process it is.

“Over the past two years, I learned dicing skills, mincing, grating, keeping your hands clean all times, cleaning up as you go, and working with other people,” says Chandler.

Chandler learned how to make different recipes at home because of Vetri Cooking Lab, and her favorite recipe to make is the Turkey Burgers, which she comes makes at home. Also, she’s happy that she made many friends at the cooking lab.

“This program is really fun, and it’s a good opportunity to meet new people, and have a good time in general,” says Chandler.