CNP workers make food art

Franklin County Schools’ CNP workers Jean Hallmark and Fayrene Morgan took part in Chef David Leathers’ food sculpting class on Thursday.

BELGREEN – School cafeteria employees have no doubt learned that most students prefer burgers and fries to salad and green beans, but child nutrition workers across a three-county area gathered on Thursday to learn how nutritious foods can actually be fun for kids to eat.
CNP workers from Colbert County, Florence City, Franklin County, Lauderdale County, Muscle Shoals City, Russellville City, Sheffield City and Tuscumbia City schools all met at Belgreen High School’s cafeteria for their 30th annual area workshop where they learned many tips and interesting facts that makes kids’ lunches healthier and tastier all at the same time.
To enhance this year’s workshop, Franklin County Schools’ SNP director, Carol Humphries, brought in Chef David Leathers, who owns the business Food Stylin. Leathers travels the country speaking to groups about the importance of healthy eating and is a strong advocate in the fight against childhood obesity, but he presents his message in a fun, hands-on way.
“One of our cafeteria workers at Red Bay has taken some of Chef Leathers’ classes and she said he did a really great job,” Humphries said. “I thought the fun way he presents his class would be something everyone at the workshop could enjoy.”
Leathers taught a food sculpting class where CNP workers made an octopus out of a banana and a healthy wrap out of sliced fruit, peanut butter and whole wheat tortillas.
“Making healthy food fun is the key to getting kids involved, and when they get involved they’re more apt to want to eat the things they’ve made,” Leathers told the group.
He added that education was also very important in children and even adults making healthy food choices.
“Between 60 and 70 percent of the health problems we have are due to what we eat,” Leathers said. “We have a generation now that doesn’t know how to cook, and if they could get educated – get back in home ec classes and learn – they could start making better choices.”
CNP workers agreed that anything that could be done to make students more amenable to healthier foods would be fine with them because that’s their goal in the first place.
“CNP workers get a bad rap because many people don’t think that schools do all they can do to provide their kids with food choices that are nutritional,” Florence City Schools’ CNP director Bob Grice said. “Many people just assume we all want to slap a burger or some pizza down in front of their kids and we don’t give it a second thought, but most CNP workers are dedicated to making sure the kids have healthy choices they’ll like to eat.
“That’s the whole purpose of these workshops that are required twice per year. We learn how to make school food even better.”