Editor’s Note: This video shows students sampling the popular, student-invented salads that were featured at Ashley’s International Day. On this day, a big green mailbox was next to the salad bar, along with “voting” forms, and students voted on their favorite salad of the six finalists there at the salad bar. The top fruit and the top green salads were served in the school lunchroom later in the spring, and the top winners got to take home prizes of large fruit baskets for their families.
It was the culmination of an event that was a long time in the planning. In the Spring of 2011, KGNU, the Integrated Nutrition Education Project, and Denver Superfoods launched an experiment to see whether a contest for healthy recipes would increase awareness and enthusiasm of health foods. The result was a 8-week long project called, “The Super Salad Recipe Contest!” All three partners in this group worked together to recruit students to enter recipes in the super salad contest. The contest had two categories – one for a green salad, and one for a fruit salad. There were prizes for each grade level, for the tastiest and healthiest salad recipe, plus grand prize winners. The awards included serving the actual salads at a big event. In the case of Ashley Elementary, the big event was International Day. Here is the original letter that went out to all families at Ashley Elementary, inviting them to join in the Super Salad Contest:
What salad do you make at home? What salad is from the country your class is studying for International Day? We have a contest to find out.
Please bring in your favorite recipe for a fruit salad or a leafy green salad. Please bring in the recipe by Tuesday, April 5th. Each student who gives a salad recipe to Mr. Chad in the lunchroom will win a fruit snack. For each grade level, there will be two big prizes for students–one for the best fruit salad recipe, and the one for the best green salad recipe. The big prize will be a fruit basket. We will also pick a grand prize salad from all the grades. The Denver School Superfoods program will make the very top choice salads for International Night on Friday, April 22nd. People can vote for the best salad that night. It will win the Grand Prize!
Here are clues for a great salad!
- Tastes Great!
- The ingredients include at least Two Superfoods*
- The salad has at least three colors
- Healthy! (think about lots of natural ingredients)
- It doesn’t cost a lot to make–it’s a really good deal!
- Your friends would love this salad!
*Fruit Superfoods include: Apples, Cantaloupe, Peaches
*Green Salad Superfoods include: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leafy Greens (Lettuce, Parsley, Bok Choy, Spinach and other leafy greens)
Call or email if you have questions. We’re excited to learn about your favorite salads!
— Miss Shelley the Radio Lady (303) 494-2545 shelleyschlender@yahoo.com
— Dr. Carrot (If you want to send me a message, go to eatyouradio.kgnu.org)
— You can also fill out the form at eatyourradio.kgnu.org