Sarasota Students compete in “Iron Chef Challenge”

Celebrity British Chef Jon Ashton brought his “iron chef challenge” to Phillippi Shores and Cranberry elementary schools in Sarasota County.

Chef Jon and the Dairy Council of Florida were in Sarasota on September 9 with the goal of getting students at each school to think about their food in a healthy manner and to not forget about exercise. The Phillippi Shores assembly ran from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Cranberry’s was from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Chef Jon, a Liverpool, England, native who has made appearances on the Today Show and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, brought all of the ingredients. The creative part was up to the students who worked in teams to create healthy snack recipes.

The assembly proved to be highly interactive and entertaining as Chef Jon used his charisma and humor to show students how easy and fun it is to prepare food for themselves. Chef Jon is living what he calls his “American Dream” of touring the country and visiting schools to share his wellness message. To read more about Chef Jon, visit www.jonashton.com

The presentation was preceded by a nutrition presentation by Jennifer Sills, a registered dietitian with the Dairy Council of Florida. Once the cooking portion was over, she lead the students through “Game-On” physical activity challenges where students again worked in teams to complete their “wellness” goals.