Feeding the Future 2025

Feeding the Future is a culinary contest that challenges students to create healthy, great-tasting meals that meet the real-life requirements of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)/National School Breakfast Program (SBP) and/or Afterschool Snack Program (ASP).

This contest was created to help students develop tasty, nutritious, and affordable school meals that can be served to Arizona school children. Participation in this context helps students and the surrounding community better understand the challenges that school food professionals face and the ever-changing conditions that impact access to good food.

Attendees join in the fun by tasting the creative dishes of the top student teams presenting to guest judges throughout the event. While the judges deliberate, attendees can enjoy the beautiful outdoor scenery of the Farm at South Mountain with live music, yard games and children’s activities.

Local chefs from around the state will work with student teams to develop recipes that are school food compliant. These recipes will be developed with the input of school food professionals and will be reviewed to ensure they meet all the necessary school meal guidelines. Recipe requirements will depend on the student competition level:

• High school students will create a full lunch tray,
• Middle school students will create breakfast, and
• Elementary students will create a fruit or vegetable side dish.

Participation in this context helps students and the surrounding community better understand the challenges that school food professionals face and the ever-changing conditions that impact access to good food. Student teams will leave this competitive experience with a better understanding of the culinary world through:

1) Recipe development and the application of the National School Lunch Program nutrition guidelines

2) Collaboration across academic and food service departments while addressing diversity in student preferences; and

3) Critical thinking that requires the balance of nutrition and economics to develop a tray for $1.50

Your ticket to Feeding the Future will include samples from every team competing, and this adds up to a pretty decent meal! Additionally, while there may not be a spot on the typical school lunch tray for it, we always have a tasty treat for dessert. Finally, every ticket includes 2 beverages, guests choose from local coffee, Arizona produced beer and wine and some delicious non-alcoholic options as well.

Host or Publisher Charleen Badman