Newswise — ORLANDO, FL (December 18, 2012) – Students from Orlando’s Memorial Middle School compete regularly in sports and the classroom. This time, they faced off in the kitchen. Planet Hollywood Orlando hosted a group of students from the school for a showdown to see who can prepare the healthiest and tastiest meal. They were coached by the accomplished team of chefs at Planet Hollywood in an Iron Chef-style competition.
The students were celebrating their completion of Healthy Me, a twelve-week course that provides Orlando students access to doctors, dietitians, trainers, mental health specialists, and other healthcare professionals to learn about health, nutrition, and exercise. Healthy Me also includes free healthy cooking classes, Zumba lessons, kickboxing and helpful material for adolescents and teens to become better educated on proper diet and exercise. The course, which is available free of charge at select schools in Orange County, Florida, was developed by Teen Xpress, a part of the Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families.
“Through Healthy Me, we’re able to teach kids the real-world skills they need to lead healthy lifestyles,” stated Rita M. Soza-Vento, Ph.D., manager, Teen Xpress. “We rely on partners like Planet Hollywood to help us give kids the practical experience of preparing healthy meals in a way they can understand and enjoy.”
Students participating in the competition were separated into seven teams charged with creating a meal using only the ingredients given to them in a basket. They had 40 minutes to come up with a meal idea and execute it. Each team was coached by a Planet Hollywood chef. At the end of the competition, the teams were judged on presentation, flavor, portion size (using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate guidelines), texture, and sanitation. Members of the top-scoring team received medals at the end of the competition. “It’s exciting to see how Healthy Me is helping kids learn techniques to live healthy lifestyles and teaching them to apply those skills in the real world” stated Andy Bell, Executive Chef at Planet Hollywood. “We’re very proud to participate in the program once again and play a role helping these kids grow and make the right decisions for their health.”
The current Healthy Me class has 75 students from Memorial Middle School and Excel Alternatives School. Twenty of the students from Memorial Middle School participated in the competition at Planet Hollywood. Healthy Me is available during the school year and for six weeks during the summer.
Teen Xpress, the developer of Healthy Me, is a mobile healthcare unit that provides a medical home and mental health counseling to underinsured and uninsured adolescents in at-risk areas in Orange County. It is one of six programs offered by the Howard Phillips Center.
About the Howard Phillips Center for Children & FamiliesThe Howard Phillips Center, widely-recognized as one of the leaders in the country for its cutting-edge advocacy and outreach programs, is part of Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. It is supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation and serves central Florida through the following programs: The Developmental Center for Infants & Children/Early Steps, Healthy Families Orange, Orange County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Child Protection Team, the Healing Tree and Teen Xpress.
ARNOLD PALMER HOSPITAL for CHILDREN Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 158-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Located in Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, emergency and trauma care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. Visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com to learn more about all of our specialties.
About Planet HollywoodPlanet Hollywood International, Inc. is the creator and worldwide developer of a consumer brand that capitalizes on the universal appeal of movies, television, sports, music and other leisure-time activities. The Company’s worldwide operations offer products and services in the restaurant, retail, leisure and entertainment sectors.
Planet Hollywood Orlando is the headquarters for great food and drink, stylish merchandise, display cases full of fabulous memorabilia and exclusive celebrity appearances. Open daily from 11am – 1 am, Planet Hollywood Orlando is conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Disney West Side. For more information, visit www.planethollywood.com or call (407) 827.7827.
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