Young Chefs Battle in Salad Contest!

Story by Lovee Bell. Photo courtesy of Kendall County Record. 

MAR. 20, 2020: One of my favorite kinds of salad is spicy grilled chicken salad. What's yours? Imagine being able to compete in a salad-making competition and creating any kind of salad you want? This is happening in Illinois and it’s great for kids.

Four teams of students recently battled in a salad-making contest at the Prisco Community Center in Aurora, Illinois. It was the sixth annual Kane County TopHealthy Chef Competition. Sodexo Food Service sponsored the friendly competition.

Chefs from Waldo, Jefferson, and Fischer middle schools in Aurora and Bednarcik in Oswego had 30 minutes to make the healthiest salad possible from a surprise basket of ingredients that included avocado, dragon fruit, and rainbow carrots.

Each kid on the four teams had to use three ingredients and one kind of bean, “black kidney, or garbanzo beans,” explained Jim Pilmer. He is the executive director of the Fox Valley Park District. He served as one of the judges.

Teams of four were joined by a consulting chef from Sodexo, including Chef Michael Rehfeldt. He works for the food service provider at George Williams College in Wisconsin. He was part of the competition a year ago.

I think that this challenge would be very fun and healthy to do here in Washington DC. It’ll help me and other kids in being healthy.

Lovee Bell is a 4th grade scholar at Friendship Woodridge International School.