Oser Communications Group

GENERAL NEWS www.kitchenwarenews.com n JUNE 2018 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 5 General News Arctic Zone, California Innovations' flagship brand, introduces its new line of lunch bags designed for today's healthy lifestyle. This segment is all about promoting healthy eating by packing lunch and snacks at home with nutrient rich foods. The collection includes an easy to use portion control line for adults focused on weight loss. This 16-piece color-coded system features food group labels and large volume markings that can be adjusted for various calorie intakes based on the number of containers used. The healthy lunch category was a natural fit for Arctic Zone, according to Greg Anger, the company's Vice President, Product Management. "We're happy that healthy eating is now a trending topic," he said. "Making insulated bags that allow you to safely carry your food is what we do best." Arctic Zone's collection also includes bags and containers for children. Jennifer Renzetti, Senior Product Manager for the back to school category at Arctic Zone explains, "Unlike the portion control bags, this segment is not about losing weight or controlling portions; it's about fostering a healthy relationship with food. As a mother, it's a great reminder on a daily basis to add color to your lunch, and in turn, all the right nutrients." This unique segment features a colorful eight-piece food container set with soft lids that are easy for kids to open. The colors are bright and fun, and the container sizes are parent-approved to accommodate the types of foods and quantities their kids eat. The collection also includes both Multi- Meal Prep and Meal Prep lunch bags, each providing a less regimented system than Portion Control. The Multi-Meal Prep profile is designed to look like a stylish gym bag. It features a 15-piece leak proof bento container set, great for people who are training or on a special diet. The Meal Prep profile also features a 15 piece leak- proof bento container set with large volume markings, but does not include food group labels. This segment is great for people who pack leftovers or combine different food groups (ie: sandwiches, stir-fry, pasta salad, etc.). For further information, visit https://arcticzone.com. KN Arctic Zone Launches Lunch Bags for Healthy Lifestyles BY LORRIE BAUMANN The Charlie Cart Project sends mobile kitchens out into the world to give teachers the materials they need to teach children some basic cooking and nutrition skills. Founded just three years ago, the nonprofit organization's program is currently operating at 70 sites around the country, with about another 30 expected by the end of the year. Carolyn Federman is the Founder and Executive Director of the Charlie Cart Project, which receives sponsorship support f rom several kitchenware manufacturers, and has partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future as well as The Edible Schoolyard Project, a nonprofit project founded by Alice Waters to ensure an edible education for every school child in the U.S. The Charlie Cart Project is an outgrowth of The Edible Schoolyard Project, Federman says. "I worked with Alice Waters for almost 20 years," she says. "I went into this because hands-on experience with food and nutrition is the most effective way to change kids' eating habits." But beyond the positive effects on children's eating habits, the Charlie Cart Project has grander goals. "When people make better food choices, it impacts environmental health as well as personal health. If you choose, for example, food that is grown without pesticides, you're creating a demand for food that supports better soil health, which has ramifications for the air and the water. The food that we choose to eat, whether we eat fast food, conventionally grown produce that is grown in another country and flown here, or all organic—all of those choices have consequences," Federman said. "When we teach kids the impact of their food decisions, they can make choices that are better for them and for the planet." The Charlie Cart is named after the Old West chuckwagon after or a modern- day military K-trailer. Each is equipped with kitchen tools and gadgets along with an oven, a sink, a griddle and a cooktop. They're purchased, along with a curriculum and recipes, by school districts, libraries, hospitals food banks, children's museums — any organization with a mission that includes educating children about their food. The community agencies purchasing the carts usually fund them through an appeal to a parents' organization or through a grant-writing process. "We have sponsors that donate equipment to the cart, and we pass on the savings to our customers — that helps keep the cost manageable for schools and other nonprofits," Federman said. Richlite provides countertops for the Charlie Carts. V itamix, Fagor America, Breville, Cuisinart and Progressive International have all provided equipment for the mobile kitchens. Dexas provides its GrippMats, heavy- duty cutting mats that are nonporous and nonabsorbent and won't dull knives. "I really appreciate our sponsors, they've been so supportive," Federman said. "We especially love the Grippmats — if you have no other equipment, they can still transform the classroom because they instantly give kids a workstation. They're bright and colorful, and when kids walk into the classroom and see them, they know they're about to have fun." The Project does its own fund-raising to provide training for the teachers, and when the Charlie Cart arrives at the program site, it's ready for the teacher to wheel it into the classroom, open it up and unpack everything that's needed to start prepping and cooking. "It really is a kitchen. The recipes are real recipes. well- tested and vetted," Federman said. "The kids are doing the measuring, the mixing, the kneading. They're pulling herbs; they're cracking the eggs." The teacher's usually the only one at the cart while the heat is turned on — while the teacher's baking the scones, for instance, the children would likely be doing a worksheet on how baking soda makes the scones rise. The lesson plans are designed to teach math, science and language arts as well as food and nutrition life skills. They're geared for children in grades K-5, with nine lessons per grade for the school year, but they're flexible enough to adapt to a wide range of ability levels, according to Federman. "The cart is sized to ser ved pre-K to adult. The recipes themselves are great for any age; they're really delicious and simple," she said. "Any experienced educator can accommodate the age they're working with, and the recipe will stay the same. The lesson plan is written in quite a bit of detail, so you can pick and choose the parts that work." In a pilot program conducted when the Johns Hopkins Center became involved, 78 percent of the students in the program said they had tried a new food. "Which was remarkable, because in the pilot, we tested only three recipes and they were all salads," Federman said. More than two- thirds of the participants said that they'd shared a recipe for a dish prepared for the program with family or f riends and 38 percent had asked their family to make that dish at home. " We were really pleased," Federman said. "The educators are the best suited to work with their community; they know their community better than anyone else. We just want to empower them with the tools they need to teach effectively." Federman has also written a cookbook titled "New Favorites for New Cooks." It's for kids 8 and up, and it came out in March f rom Ten Speed. KN The Charlie Cart Project: Better Living Through Home Cooking

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