It comes as no surprise that diet plays a crucial part in a child's mental, emotional and physical development. On the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the school breakfast and lunch program feeds children at school, but not on weekends. In December 2006, Food for Thought OBX, a grassroots program that began as a pilot at Manteo Elementary School on Roanoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, has blossomed to serve over 700 students in all five Dare County elementary schools. This all-volunteer nonprofit organization is dedicated to reducing hunger and academic risk facing elementary school children in Dare County by providing weekend healthy meals. Unfortunately, the plight of these children is not unique to this area; it is a microcosm of what is happening nationwide.
Because hunger, and junk food, hamper healthy thinking and development, it is important to teach children about food and where it originates - on the land and in the sea, NOT on the supermarket shelves. While cooking is the perfect combination of fun and creativity, it is also a great way to involve and teach children about the food they eat, and that smart food choices today will result in healthier bodies tomorrow.
FOOD 'N' FUN is written for kids, and with kids, from kindergarten through high school. The spirit of the cookbook lies in its collection of nutritious kid-friendly recipes from kids, parents, grandparents, educators, food growers and chefs. Food says so much about where you've come from - it is tradition, and belief, and so much more. Because of the multicultural makeup of Outer Banks residents, a number of recipes are included to stimulate a child's curiosity about ethnic cuisine. Not only that, kids in the kitchen acquire and hone skills such as reading, counting, measuring, organizing, weighing, and understanding time and fractions, without even noticing!
