Students Whip Up Kitchen Fun and Healthy Food with Sodexo’s Future Chefs: Healthy Snack Challenge

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Gaithersburg, Md. - March 14, 2011 - Sodexo invites all people committed to ending childhood obesity in this generation to vote today for one of the five finalists from 342 schools across the country who participated in its first national Future Chefs: Healthy Snack Challenge competition. Vote today at www.youtube.com/user/SodexoFutureChefs. The competition encourages students to learn about good nutrition by creating healthy snacks.

Students from 36 school districts entered more than 2600 healthy snack recipes and 535 students were selected to put their culinary skills to the test. They prepared and presented their recipes before a panel of judges at local district-wide events. Five students were selected as national finalists.   Learn about these amazing students and their fun recipes, then select the “Like” button under the video they like the best. Vote March 14 to 28. The student with the most “Like” votes will earn the national champion title.   The five students selected for the Future Chefs: Healthy Snack Challenge national finals are:  

• Safiya Armstrong, 9 - Putnam City School District in Oklahoma City, Okla.

• Sam Chamberlain, 11 - San Jose Unified School District in San Jose, Calif.

• Dulcie Robertson, 9 - Helena School District in Helena, Mont.

• Jillian Shurtleff, 9 - West Warwick Public School District in West Warwick, R.I.

• Katelyn Silverthorn, 9 - Dearborn Heights School District No. 7 in Dearborn Heights, Mich.

  “One of the ways Sodexo enhances student well-being is to teach students about making healthy and nutritional choices,” said Steve Dunmore, president of Sodexo Education-Schools. “The Future Chefs: Healthy Snack Challenge is the kind of program that educators and student nutrition providers need to embrace because it makes nutrition education fun and exciting for students, allowing those important life lessons to really stick.”   Sodexo, a partner in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative, has been hosting similar student culinary competitions in districts for years and the Future Chefs: Healthy Snack Challenge marks the first time the company made it a national event. The company is committed to take measurable sustainable actions that ensure a brighter future in the areas of health and wellness, environmental stewardship and community development. Sodexo focuses on nutrition, achievement, environment, community and activity to promote student well-being.   About Sodexo   Sodexo in North America

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

  Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo’s 380,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.   Key Figures (as of August 31, 2010)   Sodexo in the World 15.3 billion euro consolidated revenue 380,000 employees 34,000 sites 50 million consumers served daily 80 countries 21^st largest employer worldwide   Sodexo in North America 8.0 billion dollars revenue 120,000 employees 10 million consumers served daily 6,000 clients 700 facilities management sites   SODE12378