Chef Michael Smith takes the Half Your Plate message from the classroom to the legislature
On October 28th, Half Your Plate Ambassador Chef Michael Smith spent the day in Toronto talking about Half Your Plate with everyone from grade 4-5 students to the Ontario Legislature and Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Chef Michael Smith at St. Mary Catholic School
“Too many Canadians are struggling to create a healthy food lifestyle for themselves and their families. We’re inundated with contradictory media advice and teased with the promise of non-existent magic bullets,” said Chef Smith. “We’re off balance and need reminding of how simple it truly is to be a healthy cook. Half Your Plate is helping not only by raising awareness but also by offering real-world, simple solutions that can work for all families.”
The day began with a presentation about fruits and veggies to grade 4-5 students at St. Mary Catholic School. The event was live-streamed to over 85 schools across the school board and attracted over 150 viewers on Periscope. “My grade 4 and 5 students truly enjoyed the interactive nature of the visit with Chef Michael Smith. They learned about the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet, and were eager to try new foods with the encouragement of Chef Smith. We were delighted to have had the opportunity to participate in such a rich learning experience,” said Brian Palić, Elementary Teacher at St. Mary Catholic School.
Chef Smith then took the Half Your Plate message to an event at Queen’s Park for the Ontario Legislature where he reminded
Half Your Plate on display!
participants that we simply need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and that this is a message that should transcend politics. He encouraged participants to use their sphere of influence to encourage people to live healthier and eat real ingredients, and take the time to share that with family. He emphasized that we need to work together to effect real change and that the simple message of Half Your Plate is the perfect way to encourage Canadians to eat more fruits and vegetables.
