Last fall I was honored to participate in the Job Corp’s Top Chef Competition held on at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). I must say it was one of the most delicious assignments I’ve ever had! The competition, inspired by Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, was a huge success. Over 20 Food Service managers from Job Corps centers across the country competed in teams to showcase their culinary talents while applying healthy eating principles to their competition entries.
The Job Corps program is a residential education and training program that serves over 60,000 youth annually between the ages of 16 and 24. Across 124 Job Corps centers, Food Service staff serves three square meals every day to our students. Thus, it is critical to ensure our meals meet nutrition and health guidelines and requirements. More importantly, we understand our role in promoting healthy lifestyle practices to our students, who will then apply what they learned in their independent lives after Job Corps.
