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What we impart to our children regarding food today holds profound implications for their future. While food choices stand as the cornerstone of our health, shockingly, less than a fraction of individuals receive any form of food education in the United States. Simply prescribing what children should eat falls short; they must be genuinely enthused about healthy options and have the ability and knowledge to prepare them.

Recent CDC studies show the majority of individuals in the United States do not adhere to a healthy diet; we are consuming excessive amounts of sodium, saturated fat, and sugar, thereby heightening our susceptibility to chronic diseases. This pervasive issue isn't isolated to a few; it affects the majority, starting with our children. By not equipping them with the knowledge of proper nutrition and culinary skills, we risk perpetuating detrimental dietary habits and poor health into adulthood.

Recognizing the importance of teaching young people about healthy food choices and how to prepare them, Edible Education's founder, Ann Butler, set out to provide hands-on culinary literacy opportunities to empower children. After creating a curriculum and using it for several years in the field, Butler innovated the Kitchen a la Cart^TM, a portable teaching unit that provides instructors and teachers with all the tools and equipment they need to prepare healthy foods.

Butler explains, "No child is going to eat kale. But if they wash it, cut it up, sprinkle some salt and red chili peppers and a little bit of olive oil on it, and then bake it. Voila! Now that child is eating kale chips. It's exposure to brand new foods. It's giving them the tools and confidence to prepare a new, healthy snack option."

Butler's philosophy behind Edible Education and the Kitchen a la Cart is that children learn by doing. By allowing children to stand up and do the cooking, they acquire the skills and the confidence they need to prepare food at home for themselves and for their families. Equally important to Butler is that children are cognitively and physically engaged. "Chefs don't sit. By standing up, kids are actively listening and engaging. Their brains are connecting synapses. It's the Socratic method; let them do the cooking, and they will learn it for life."

Also key to Butler's philosophy is helping educate children on the dangers of artificial additives and colors. Studies have shown that certain artificial color additives, such as tartrazine (Yellow 5), sunset yellow (Yellow 6), and Allura red (Red 40), may have adverse effects on behavior and cognitive function in children. "To me, the worst thing a kid can eat is artificial colors and artificial additives. Studies show that artificial colors are damaging to the brain. That's the reason the UK and Europe have taken them out of all children's meals. It's just not rocket science. By teaching them about real food, food that came from the ground or from the farm and didn't come in a package is really important to what Edible Education is all about."

Butler's Edible Education and Kitchen a la Carts are making an impact. By aligning with broader goals of public education, Butler endeavors to foster a culture of wellness and culinary literacy in schools and communities by equipping children and adults alike with the tools they need to make informed dietary choices and lead healthier lives.With 600 carts in circulation and carts in almost every state, Butler has touched nearly 1 million children (and counting) to date.

Edible Education's overarching mission is to get children excited about healthy foods and make healthy eating enjoyable and accessible to all. "If you're holding up a zucchini and say, 'Here, eat this, it's good for you,' you are not going to get them excited about eating zucchini. If I say, 'Okay, you guys cut this up into a quarter-inch slice. We're going to put some tomato sauce, mozzarella and a fresh basil chiffonade on top, bake it, and call it a zucchini pizza.' They're all over that."

By opening the doors to a world of culinary exploration for children and by fostering a newfound appreciation for nutritious foods, Butler is not only championing healthy habits but also a healthy body and brain. Through innovative approaches and the Kitchen a la Cart^TM, Edible Education makes healthy eating fun and delicious.

Edible Education is sowing the seeds of lifelong wellness; join them in nurturing not only physical and mental health but the overall well-being of our future generations.