Growing Chefs! Ontario: Meet our Growing Staff!

Learning to cook was where it all clicked for me. It was the first time I understood that all of the things I had struggled to put in a practical context in school, like why we learn math, history, geography, or science. Turns out that it all comes into play when you’re cooking. For me, learning to cook was the first time in my adult life that learning became fun and exciting again. Through cooking I discovered a platform that allowed me to be creative and artistic. It was one of the first times I felt excited to be challenged. All of a sudden, all of the healthy eating messaging that I had been hearing my entire life (but not listening to) became applicable for the first time. I suddenly understood that food that is good for you can be unbelievably delicious! For me, Growing Chefs! Ontario is an attempt to help children come to this realization earlier in life than I did.

Click HERE to email Andrew - regarding Partnerships or Sponsorships

For me, it's personal: raising daughters, I wanted to be able to impress upon them the importance of making smart food choices at an early age. Food has always been my passion, and I’m lucky that they both shared a passion for cooking when they were growing up. I felt it was my role to teach them how to use the best ingredients available to us, and to produce amazing meals from those. I love my role(s) here at Growing Chefs! and Londonlicious and I hope to continue learning all I can!

Click HERE to email Jen - regarding booking events, or Londonlicious

Food is a universal language; everyone needs to eat and the choices that you have to make with food are endless. By encouraging kids to have fun with food and explore different foods and techniques that they have not explored before, we are empowering them to make life changing choices for themselves and those that surround them.

Click HERE to email Katherine - regarding School meal contracts

Food education is important to me because we need to inspire the next generation of gardeners, farmers, cooks, chefs, and eaters to come together and create a more healthy and sustainable food system. Everyone eats, but not everyone knows where or how their food was produced, processed or prepared and I think we should change that.

Click HERE to email Christy - regarding School Projects, children's programming or volunteer opportunities

Cooking has always been central to my journey, fostering a sense of family and community. Working with Growing Chefs! Ontario, I aim to inspire others to make mindful food choices that support local communities, promote biodiversity, and reduce environmental impact. Promoting food literacy allows us to take a significant stride towards positive changes in sustainability and well-being. It is immensely rewarding to collaborate with this team and deliver these impactful programs to our community.

Food literacy is incredibly important to everybody's lives and our ecosystem. It is our first major step in making positive changes towards sustainability and healthier lifestyles, and bringing this type of literacy to the forefront is what I consider to be a very important task. Food is survival, food is bringing friends and family together, and food is fun! Cooking has always taken a huge role in my life and career, and I couldn't be happier to be on the frontlines with this team bringing these programs to our community.

Food education is becoming more and more important as our global economy and climate evolves. Learning about food encourages individuals to make environmentally conscious choices such as reducing food waste and supporting local, organic, and fair-trade products. Learning about food also cultivates culinary skills, allowing people to prepare nutritious meals from scratch and reduce reliance on processed foods. Also, food education can contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage by teaching traditional cooking techniques and recipes, ensuring that they are passed down to future generations.

Food is my passport to the world. Food education is important because it is a way to explore the world, connect with different cultures, and to learn a little history. Food education is more than just recipes and techniques, it reveals how trade and cultural exchange shaped our shared human experience. Tracing the roots of everyday spices like pepper through the Spice Trade, or discovering similar cuisines shared across continents, and finding out how unique the cuisines of neighbouring countries can be, sparks fascinating conversations and intrigue. Asking someone about their favourite dishes unlocks personal stories and shared histories. For me, food and food education connects us all in a way where we all can relate and speak even though we may not speak the same language. Food education bridges those cultural gaps and breaks down barriers and helps connect us all. I could be wrong, but that sounds like the ground work for building a stronger resilient community.

Everyone eats, sometimes not everyone knows exactly what they're eating. Food education is more than just cooking a delicious meal but finding out where each ingredient comes from. Food education is important to me because ever since I can remember I've loved to learn about different types of food, how they taste and where they come from. I think it is important to show the next generation that cooking at home is just as easy as buying processed take out.

As a chef, I recognize that food, nutrition, and a diverse diet are crucial as they ensure that we receive essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for a healthy and well balanced life. Providing the community with accessible and balanced meals is the most effective way to educate and promote a well rounded, healthy diet. Being part of Growing Chefs! Ontario has shown me just how important it is to educate our community about food nutrition, especially for our young ones! If there is one thing that I can do to promote good in our community, it is to promote food nutrition, and I am deeply grateful and proud to do that!

Food education gives the power back to the consumer, and allows for healthy impactful choices for generations to come.

Food and food education matter to me because they are foundational to our health, culture, and environment. Growing up, food has been a part of each and every individual, no matter what status of life you have or where you are in the world. Understanding what we eat helps make informed choices that benefit our well-being and support sustainable practices. As I developed an appreciation for culinary arts, my passion grew as I acquired more knowledge. Food also brings people together, fostering community and connection, and learning about it deepens our appreciation for different cultures and traditions. Being one of the many professionals in the industry, I take pride in sharing my experiences, knowledge, and culture. It’s a powerful tool for creating positive change in our lives and the world.

Mojdeh works in the Beet Kitchen supporting our Hot Lunch Program.

Growing up as a picky eater, I was completely oblivious to the journey that food and cooking can take you on. Food education and experimentation have made life more exciting and meals more enjoyable. Food tells a story, food brings people together, and to be able to take part is a very powerful thing.

From creation to consumption, the culinary process is not simply preparation of food - it reflects a culture at its roots. The very ingredients used; those avoided; the methods they are prepared with; how and why they are eaten (or not;) all these aspects of food production may clearly and cohesively represent a community. To experience such an understanding, and to comprehend the experience, first-hand food education is paramount. By being directly involved in the process, one will discover both appreciation for the food they eat, and happiness that can only be expressed through the stomach!

Everyone deserves the right and dignity to equally access healthy food. Appreciating the efforts that go into our meals, from the work of farmers and Indigenous Peoples who have steward this land for generations, helps tell a story of connection that inspires us to care for our environment and about the food security of our community.

Learning about food systems is a journey through history, culture and self-discovery. Food education has taught me to appreciate the work of all the hands that have grown, processed and prepared the foods on my plate, including my own! Today, food education is not only essential for a sustainable future but also thought provoking and fun! With every growing mind that walks into our gardens and kitchens, I hope we can help to build a healthier, happier and more connected local community.

Food is one of my greatest joys! I look towards a future where sustainable and ethical food sourcing is the norm. Demystifying where our food really comes from is a crucial step towards that. I think that between us and what we eat lies one of the most important relationships in our lives. Through food education, I want to help nurture these relationships to be happy and healthy ones.

Once you start your food journey, you will never stop. I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by food and the impacts it has on every aspect of my life. By teaching kids the basic building blocks of food in a fun and positive way, we pave the way for them to continue to learn and explore food on their own. We aren’t just teaching kids about food, we are empowering them, and helping them grow and gain the confidence they need to teach others.

Food is a key building block of our personal health, our social calendars, and our communities/cultures. Our daily lives are built around eating times and cooking / food sourcing, meaning food is at the very core of how we live every day! Healthy bodies and happy minds start with good food choices, which is why I think it's important for children to learn about the vast world of food and gain the skills to feed themselves properly.

Food is so integral to everything we do in life: we gather to eat and enjoy each other's company, we create and maintain relationships over shared meals, we learn new skills when we cook together, we use it to heal us when we're sick, and we learn about our culture, heritage, and traditions when we share food with each other. When we encourage kids to learn about what they're eating, where it came from, who grew it, and how it got to their plate - we're helping them make better informed decisions that will keep them curious about food the rest of their lives.