School district looks to cooking competition to spice up menu

Buffalo Public Schools is turning to local chefs and a little competition to help create new menu items, the Buffalo News reports.

In October, local chefs will compete against each other and a team of seven to 10 students led by chef Bobby Anderson, a former contestant on “Hell’s Kitchen,” to create lunch recipes that comply with USDA nutritional requirements and use seasonal produce sourced locally.

“This Chef Challenge is another way to engage our youth in a fun, friendly competition with local area chefs who can help create appealing recipes that will be incorporated into the school meal program,” Bridget O’Brien Wood, foodservice director for the Buffalo, N.Y., district, told the Buffalo News.

Winning recipes will be featured on the December lunch calendar for participating schools.

The competition kicks off the district’s 2016-17 Farm-to-School program, which aims to educate students about healthy eating habits and expose them to local, fresh food.