News
   Valley Center
   Park City
   Kechi
   Bel Aire
   School
   Sheriff
   Police & Fire
   Deaths
   Looking Back
   Heard on Main Street
Municipal Court
Sports
   School Sports
   Rec League
People
   General
   Birthdays
   Engagements & Weddings
Opinions
   Editorials
   Letters
   Commentary
Columns
Church
Advertising
   Classified
   Legal

USD 259 director of nutrition services Vicki Hoffman watches as Heights senior Miles Cannon prepares macaroni and cheese with cauliflower for the new Wichita Public School show “Fit, Fast, On a Dime-Cooking with USD 259" Nov. 17 at Heights.

Dining on a dime
By Chris Hunter
Last Updated: November 25, 2009

Heights students cooking up quick, healthy meals

With the camera rolling, Heights High School students had their chance to cook up a storm as part of USD 259's new cooking program, “Fit, Fast, On a Dime-Cooking with USD 259."

The program is being supported through a grant from the Sedgwick County Health and Wellness Coalition and is promoting healthy, fast, easy and cheap cooking for all ages.

USD 259 director of nutrition services Vicki Hoffman and a camerawoman hosted the program from Cara Poole's professional cooking class on Nov. 17.

“In order to combat increasing rates of obesity and related health problems for students, staff and community members, the Wichita public schools is developing a series of healthy meal cooking shows titled ‘Fit, Fast, On a Dime-Cooking with USD 259,'" said spokeswoman Susan Arensman in a news release. “The shows are taped at each comprehensive high school involving students in the family and consumer science classes or culinary careers classes."

On the menu for the day were items the students in Poole's class enjoyed.

“I demonstrated a bunch to start off," Poole said. “The kids then selected their favorite three. They are recipes I regularly use."

Seniors Miles Cannon, Greg Leyva and Brittany Hughes prepared a dish in front of the camera.

Macaroni and cheese (with cauliflower), buffalo chicken breasts and a pumpkin dip were prepared by the three seniors, with Hoffman assisting and adding input to the presentation.

“I thought it was a kind of cool the kids get to be on TV," Poole said. “It was nice for us to try something different."

Cannon prepared the macaroni and cheese with cauliflower and said he enjoyed the experience.

“It was pretty cool," Cannon said. “(The district) came to us to see what we were doing in the classroom."

Cannon said the macaroni and cheese, which takes 20 minutes to make, should be popular among parents because it includes vegetables.

Cannon said the cheese overpowers the cauliflower.

“If it is the only way they can get their kids to eat vegetables, I would tell them to try it," Cannon said. “It is pretty easy to make. It is for people who want a recipe that is simple, fast and good."

Leyva was second in front of the camera with baked buffalo chicken tenders.

“The dish only takes about 30 minutes for the entire meal," Leyva said. “Also, the meal is about $1.50 per serving, unless you can find chicken on sale. If so, go with it and it would be even cheaper."

Leyva said the only other differences on the price would be the choice of buffalo wing sauce.

When Leyva finished, Hughes prepared pumpkin dip as a dessert.

Hughes said the dish was inexpensive and easy to make.

Poole said the program was outside the curriculum for the class but fit in the nutrition unit.

Leyva said the program was good for anyone wanting to learn how to cook cheap and healthy meals.

“It is an interesting program," Leyva said. “It teaches people to make easy, fast recipes for cheap. It is a good alternative for anyone."

Poole said the dishes are easy and healthy.

“They are very inexpensive," Poole said. “The whole meal is under 600 calories, including dessert. It tastes good and is good for you as well."

Poole said the program will return to Heights next spring for another taping using alternate ingredients and she hopes the program continues beyond the school year.

“I don't know if the grant money will last," Poole said. “It will be fun if it does. It will give more students a chance to be involved in something."

The program will start broadcasting in December on WPS-TV, Cox Channel 22 or AT&T U-Verse 99, and on the district's Web site and through podcasts.

Neither Arensman nor Poole knew when the Heights broadcast will start.

“The other schools still have some taping to do before we start broadcasting," Arensman said.





Trending Stories
Valley Center Contact The Ark Valley News

Valley Center Another phase of housing gets started

Legals SEDGWICK COUNTY PUBLIC NOTICE

School Dance theme: ‘Blast into the Past’

Valley Center ‘Blast into the Past’

Other Sections
News

Sports

People

Columns

Opinion

Contact Ark Valley News | Archives