Students win healthy food prize

FOOD sourced locally proved a successful recipe for a trio of Macroom students in a national healthy eating competition.

Leanne Kearney, Ailis O’Riordan and Elizabeth Cohalan, of St Mary’s Secondary School, produced a menu that tickled the taste buds of the judges in the Agri Aware-organised, Bord Bia-sponsored challenge.

The girls were yesterday declared the overall winners of the category for second- and third-year students with Gallen Community School, Co Offaly, as runners-up.

Janet Elliott, David Mooney, Emma O’Connor and Susan Hedderman, of Beauford College, Navan, Co Meath, took the honours in the transition year category with St Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow, in the runners-up slot. School of the Divine Child, a special school in Cork, won a prize of excellence.

The Macroom students opted for local vegetables for their menu and did an in-depth analysis of beef from farm to fork.

The two winning schools will attend a two-day cookery course in celebrity chef Neven Maguire’s cookery school. Runners-up will receive a cookery demonstration in their schools.

Nutritionist and chairperson of the judging panel Paula Mee said the project proved students understand the importance of healthy eating, both in a theoretical and practical sense.

Agri Aware chairman Máiréad Lavery said young people are not only making nutritious and healthy food choices, they are now aware of where their food is produced.

“With international emphasis placed on reducing our carbon footprint, students are now aware that fresh, local, Irish produce is available on their doorstep.”

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said it was encouraging to see the next generation learning to appreciate the importance of high standards of traceability from farm to fork and how this is represented by the quality mark symbol.