Cooking Up 5210 Fun At The Hyatt
For someone who has a serious sweet tooth like me – and a family risk of diabetes – cutting down on sugar has been a rewarding journey I started three months ago. After Halloween, I shared with readers some of my favorite secretly healthy snacks for kids.
As a result of that column, I was invited to judge the “For Kids, By Kids” recipe contest held by Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and statewide healthy family initiative Hawaii 5210.
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The 5-2-1-0 slogan encourages five or more fruits and vegetables, two hours or less of screen time, one hour or more of physical activity and zero sugary beverages each day.
Executive chef Sven Ull-rich says, “The idea behind the contest is to engage our young generation of chefs to explore their kitchens and minds and come up with something that will provide them with energy as well as be satisfying to their overall health.”
The students’ favorite healthy recipes had to incorporate the DOE Wellness Guidelines for snacks, and/or feature local ingredients. In all, there were 82 entries from public and private schools in three grade categories.
Winning snacks will be featured at SHOR restaurant for one semester, with a portion of proceeds going to 5210. As an added bonus, each winner also will receive a party for their class.
Here’s some inspiration for healthier eating in 2014 from one of the winners:
Name: Mattilda Colvin School: Mid-Pacific Institute
Grade Category: Elementary
GROWN-HERE GREEN TARO SMOOTHIE “ICE CREAM”
* 3 frozen peeled bananas, chunked up
* 2 leaves kale, big ribs removed
* 1 12-ounce bag Hawaiian Sun frozen coconut milk
* 1/3 cup cooked, cooled and then frozen taro in 1/2-inch chunks
* 1/2 cup frozen Hawaii fruit of your choice (melon, mango, pineapple, etc.)
* 2 or 3 tablespoons Hawaii honey, to taste
Throw it all into a blender. Blend until everything is smooth, serve in small-portion dishes or kid-friendly shot glasses, garnish with local-grown mint – enjoy!
Mattilda says, “We used taro and coconut milk to be creamy, frozen fruit and taro for cold, honey because it’s sweet and we want to help the bees, and kale because it’s good for you.”
Mattilda’s mom says, “We’re trying to use a lot more lightly or unprocessed food in our household, a new direction for us but one that has given us so many rewards already.”
With help from her mom, Mattilda made up a new kind of 5210: “five” types of yummy, all-local fruits and vegetables, “two” minutes to blend, “one” minute to down and “zero” empty calories.
Ipo Kea and Ka’ua Cariaga from Nanakuli High and Intermediate School won the middle school category for their collaboration, “PALS Coconut ‘Aina Treats.” They used kiawe flour they learned to process from pods.
Brittany Amano also impressed judges with her fruit sushi recipe. The Iolani student created her own fruit leather to roll up around fruit chunks that the Hyatt thinks will be a popular menu addition.
To check out the winning recipes and learn more, visit hawaii5210.org.
joaquinx2@me.com
