Kids Take On the Healthy Entrée Challenge

Think kids aren’t into eating stuff that’s good for them? Think again!

Whole Foods Market® and Whole Kids Foundation opens in a new tab® know that with a little encouragement kids are totally capable of not only eating well, but cooking well too. So in March our stores in Coral Springs, Plantation and Fort Lauderdale, Florida teamed up to put that notion to the test. They presented area kids and their parents with the Whole Kids Foundation™ Healthy Entrée Challenge: cook up a healthy entrée using ingredients found at Whole Foods Market.

Not only were they wowed by how many parent/kid teams took them up on the challenge but they were super-impressed with the recipes. The team members in our stores weren’t the only folks impressed, so were the celebrity judges.

And these guys know their stuff! Each store picked one kid/parent cooking team to go on to the finals at the Art Institute’s Culinary School.

The three finalists were judged by Paula DaSilva, Executive Chef of 1500° at the Eden Roc Miami Beach; Malka Espinel, Pastry Consultant at The Forge Restaurant and Pastry Instructor at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale; and Marcella Guzman, Chef Instructor at the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Drum roll, please.

And the winners are:

1^st Place: Luca’s Finger Lickin’ Fish Tacos

Team Coral Springs: Luca and his mother Stephanie

2^nd Place: Adzuki Pasta

Team Fort Lauderdale - Ani and her mother Maria

3^rd Place: Great Grand Dad’s Secret “Prohibition” Chili 

Team Plantation: Julia and her grandfather Robert

• 3 tilapia filets

• Key lime oil or olive oil

• Borsari seasoning

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 bunch of cilantro

• 3 limes

• 1 package whole wheat tortillas

Kale Salad

• 1 bunch kale

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 avocado

• Borsari seasoning

• 1 lemon

Taco Toppings

• 3 mangoes

• Cut pineapple (optional)

• 1 onion

• 3 avocados

• 1 pre-cut cabbage mix

• 3 tomatoes

Preparation for Fish Tacos:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat glass pan with oil for fish. Coat the fish in key lime oil, garlic (pressed clove) and cilantro. Place in glass pan, squeeze on lime and shake Borsari seasoning. Bake the fish in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until it is non-translucent and flakey.

Toppings: Dice onion and tomato, mash avocados, slice mangoes, dice pineapple, and rough cut cabbage mix.

Prep kale: Cut out leaf backbone, rough cut kale. Place kale in bowl. Mash avocado in with kale, pressed garlic clove; add one shake of Borsari seasoning. Squeeze in lemon and mix by hand.

Plating: Once fish is cooked, warm tortillas in oven. Place fish on warm tortilla and top with a bit of the tomatoes, onions, avocado, cabbage and mango.

Side of kale salad: Garnish with dollop of avocado, tomato and mango

 Do you cook with your kids? What’s the winning dish in your home?