Chef Jennifer Johnson's 4 Back to School Lunch Tips
Former Chez Panisse & Getty Family Chef, Jennifer Johnson — CEO of Hip Chick Farms and Mom of a soon-to-be-kindergartener - asked herself: How can parents cook like celebrity chefs to create the perfect, healthy brown-bagged lunch that kids will love? Chef Johnson – who also was just named a “Most Innovative Woman” in the food industry by Food & Wine and Fortune magazine - is putting her knowledge to use with Hip Chick Farms, a breakthrough kid and family food that's offered at Sprouts, Safeway and Whole Foods. So what are her 4 back to school tips for parents to cook like celebrity chefs?
Chef Jennifer Johnson's 4 Back to School Lunch Tips:
#1 KEEP IT SIMPLE
Kids love simple foods. Like many chefs, Chef Johnson love simple foods that allow the ingredients to shine through.
#2 ALWAYS TASTE YOUR FOOD
Ever notice that all Food Network stars taste their food? If you don't like the taste or texture of a lunch you are making for your kid, they probably won't like it either.
#3 TRY NEW THINGS
Some kids have a hard time tasting new things. Pair new tastes with the much beloved favorites to expand your little one's palette. Chef Johnson likes to pair chicken fingers with a curry ketchup.
#4 TURN COOKING INTO A GAME
Making lunch for your little one can be a learning opportunity. Chef Johnson turns lunch time cooking into a game - she asks her daughter to guess where all the ingredients for her lunch have come from, and always includes one "mystery" ingredient to make it challenging for her. This way, she gets exposed to new tastes, cultures and thoughts.
Hip Chick Farms is real, simple food that's fresh, even though it's frozen. Each batch is made fresh, in small artisan batches, and immediately “flash frozen” to preserve taste and quality. There are no antibiotics or preservatives or filler, and they only use free-range, humanely certified chicken. You can taste how well made Hip Chick Farms products are, and so will your kids this back to school season.
