For the second year in a row, a Gudith Elementary School student has been named the Top Chef in the Sodexo Future Chef’s competition.
Haya Mehmood, a 3rd grade student, was chosen as the winner with her Chicken Samosa dish.
The competition on March 6 was the 9th annual Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge in the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District. The national competition is currently in its 14th year, which was created to get students and families thinking about making healthy food choices while also encouraging them to get active and creative in the kitchen.
The “Future Chef” event is designed to help educate students about healthy eating habits. The students’ assignment for this year’s theme: My Favorite Family Recipe! Woodhaven-Brownstown students are joining over 2,600 other students representing over 1,300 Sodexo-served schools. There will be 250 competitions held in more than 30 states in this fun and educational challenge. WBSD elementary students submitted many healthy recipes and the five best were selected by the panel to participate in this district-wide event.
Finalists in the competition were: Lucia Araujo, 3rd grade, Bates Elementary School with her dish, Arepa Venezolana; Riley Gerrity, 5th grade, Erving Elementary School with her dish Wacky Cake; Emily Smith, 5th grade, Wegienka Elementary School with her dish Spinach Manicotti with Mushroom Sauce; and finally Vinko Margiljic, 3rd grade, Yake Elementary School with his dish Albanian Pite.
Judges for the competition included WBSD principals and staff as well as special guest, last year’s National Future Chef winner, Ibraheem Ali, from Gudith Elementary School.
Judging of the competition was based on seven different criteria:
1. Healthy Attributes
2. Kid Appeal
3. Ease of Preparation
4. Originality
5. Plate Presentation
6. Taste
7. Judge Presentation
Students got to work right away in the kitchen, and this year, the competition was live streamed on Youtube for friends, family and the school community to watch. Ali was instrumental in interviewing his peers about their dishes, which all turned out to be a huge success.
All students received a medal, certificate, Future Chef logo T-shirt, and a goodie bag containing a cookbook, stickers, candy, Sodexo logo pizza cutter and pen for participating.
As the grand prize winner, Mehmood received a pot and pan set, Future Chef logo placemats,
Future Chef logo measuring cup and measuring spoon set, Future Chef logo hot pads, Future Chef logo apron, cookbook, mixing bowl set, utensils and holder and cutting boards to continue her future endeavors in the kitchen.