Cooking Matters for Teens: Extreme Food Makeover

Chelsea and Bianca get ready to present their meal to the judges.

Cooking Matters in Southeast Michigan was one of the local program partners to pilot Cooking Matters for Teens, which is being revised.

One of the new changes includes a cooking challenge at the end to test the teens’ knowledge of healthy cooking. And wow, did they ever deliver!

Big Daddy Chefz planned to lighten up the usually heavy dish of Chicken Alfredo with a fresh fruit smoothie on the side. Their rival, Team Verduras, decided to make a chicken wrap wtih baked chicken and whole-wheat tortilla, served with sweet potato fries and chocolate-covered strawberries on the side.

Big Daddy Chefz presented a plate of healthy alfredo with a fruit smoothie on the side.

So whose cuisine reigned supreme?

The judges, which included chef volunteers Ina Cheatem, Stewart McWilliams and Jason Smith, were torn over the dishes. They said both teams did a great job with the challenge. On one hand, Big Daddy Chefz’s healthy alfredo was super tasty but lacked vegetables. Team Verduras had a colorful plate packed with vegetables and even a sweet treat but there was no dairy.

In the end, the trio went with the most nutritious: Team Verduras!

In the end, Team Verduras edged past Big Daddy Chefz for the cuisine crown because their plate was more nutritious.

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The Extreme Food Makeover is so much fun and a great way to get teens cooking. I look forward to more Extreme Food Makeovers!