Close your eyes and picture a room filled with your children and all of their friends, busily and happily cooking up delicious, healthy snacks for you and all of your friends. Hard to imagine?

If so, then open your eyes and just check out the photos from the Future Chef Competition, held March 25th at JLS Middle School in Palo Alto. Sponsored by Sodexo, this year's annual event had 20 students competing from the District's middle and elementary schools. The theme was Healthy Snacks. The event was amazing.



"The event brings so much excitement to the school," say Alva Spence, Nutrition Services Director for Palo Alto Unified. "At every point in the process I see the students so excited, wanting to be a part of this program, and really energized."

Students had one hour to prepare their presentation dish, as well as 50 additional tastes for friends and family in attendance. Judges for the event were Christy Wolf, Resident Chef of Sur la Table, and yours truly.

I can't match all of the photos to the student chefs ? so if you recognize one, please comment with the student's name below so we can give credit next to their photo.

Here are the entries:










Aya Newton-Dunn, 5th grade @ Barron Park Elementary





Johann Garcia, 3rd grade - Chicken Grilled Sandwich @ Barron Park Elementary



And here are the winners (drum roll please)?..

Most Unique Snack: Nati Grinkrag- 4th grader @ Barron Park Elementary



Easiest Preparation: Christopher Brown- 4th grader @ Barron Park Elementary



Healthiest Snack: Ameer Hassan- 3rd grader @ Fairmeadow Elementary



Best Kid Appeal: Marcello Attardi- 1st grader @ Escondido Elementary



Best Taste Riley Herron, Emily Neumann, Gianna Brogley- 5th graders @ Duveneck Elementary




Best Overall: Morgan Germanow, a second grader from Fairmeadow Elementary!



Morgan now moves onto the regional competition, but EVERYONE was a winner at the Future Chefs Competition.



For more photos and the winning recipe, click on Future Chefs



- photos by Laura Stec