RFFK NEWS
February 2017

Ten Schools. Fifteen Teams.
Get Ready for the Best Food Fight in Fairfax

March 11 is less than one month away and the Culinary Teams competing in the 5th Annual Real Food for Kids' Culinary Challenge and Wellness Expo are firing up their blenders, ironing their chefs' coats and tweaking their recipes in preparation for a big win - a spot on the FCPS menu for the winning dish.

The teams have already crossed one bridge - each of the recipes have been reviewed to ensure they meet USDA School Meals Guidelines. Now they will be judged by a team of food experts and by you! As an attendee to the Expo, your first order of business will be to taste and vote on your favorite dishes for additional prizes to be won by the Exhibition teams.

Come be a part of transformation of school food in Northern Virginia! Register now for the Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge and Wellness Expo.

So much more awaits....

Who Should Attend?
Students | Parents | Educators | Nutrition Professionals
School Health Advocates
.......................................................................................................

Your $15 Registration Includes:

Tastings | Lunch | Workshops

Aviva Goldfarb, Bonnie Benwick and Renee Comet Return to the RFFK Expo
Six O'Clock Scramble and Writing for Food are Among Workshops

Washington Post Deputy Food Editor, Bonnie Benwick and photographer Renee Comet return the the RFFK Expo with their popular session on food journalism - how to create a story, and the photos that accompany it, that sells. The session will appeal to students and parents alike.

Quick, healthy meal doyenne Aviva Goldfarb  brings back her strategies for unscrambling the family dinner to give you back stress-free time at the table as a family.

These sessions fill quickly and have limited seating. Register today to ensure your spot. 
Keynote
Rodney Taylor
Director of Food and Nutrition Services
Fairfax County Public Schools
 
Rodney Taylor and Real Food for Kids share the belief that when kids eat better, they do better. Since being named Director of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) for FCPS in 2015, Taylor has been tossing aside old notions of pre-packaged, preservative-laden school food to introduce items that are fresh, local, and appealing to even the pickiest eaters, supporting the science that there's a direct correlation between food, behavior and learning. And he's just getting started.
 
Join us for this very special keynote address where Taylor lays out his vision for school food in Fairfax County and how FCPS can serve as a model for school systems across the country.
 
Lunch is included with your registration.


Expo Workshop Sessions

Attendees May Choose up to Two
 
Unscrambling the Family Dinner
Planting a Healthy Habit: Benefits of Plant-Based Eating
Fuel for Performance: Decoding Sports Nutrition
Writing for Food
What's In YOUR Water?
Wholly Cow!

Register now to ensure a seat at these sessions.
Healthy School Advocacy Training 
Wednesday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Merrifield, Virginia  

The food served in cafeterias is only one part of what makes a healthy school. Classroom parties, school events, event PTA meetings have the potential to support  health and nutrition curriculum being taught in the classroom and influence students' health habits.

Real Food for Kids has built a respected model for effective parent advocacy as the local face of a national movement to improve the food in our schools. With FCPS and other Northern Virginia school districts implementing change in their cafeterias, attention must now turn to building a structure in schools that takes a holistic approach to the health of the school community.

Registration for Real Food for Kids Healthy School Advocacy Training will open on March 1.  

Upcoming RFFK Meetings

Real Food for Kids monthly meetings are open to anyone interested in learning more about our ongoing work in the county, getting your school involved, or becoming one of our valued volunteers.
Please join us.

February 16
Gatehouse Administration Center
Room 5050
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
March 16
Mount Vernon District Government Center, Room #1
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Questions? Contact Us.

Presenting Sponsor
  Participating Schools

Chantilly Academy Edison Academy  
Franklin MS
Glasgow MS 
Irving MS
Lake Braddock SS
Marshall Academy Sandburg MS 
South County HS 
West Potomac HS
Official Partner 
Featured 
Speakers

 
Bonnie Benwick
The Washington Post
Renee Comet
Renee Comet Photography

Aviva Goldfarb
The Six O'Clock Scramble
Elizabeth Owens
Wellness with Elizabeth, LLC
Ashley Rhinehart
Humane Society of the
 United States
Rodney Taylor
Fairfax County Public Schools

Plus, students from the George Mason University School of Nutrition and Food Studies