Ever wonder what Chefs do when they aren’t cooking?

Apparently, cook some more. At least that’s what the chefs who are part of the Chefs for Kids program in Las Vegas do.

Chefs for Kids, Inc. is a joint venture of the Las Vegas chapter of the American Culinary Federation of Chefs and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, which offers advice and involvement from nutritionists. The program was established to help eliminate malnutrition and hunger through education and awareness.

The chefs make simple and nutritious meals for the children, including a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. They also spearhead much of the fundraising for the program—one big gala raised $300,000.

Chef Kitti Sanderson, Corporate Chef for U.S. Foodservice in Las Vegas and President of the local chapter, is impassioned about the results she sees. ‘When you see their eyes light up, you know you’ve made a difference,’ she says. For the full story in her words, see the ‘video’:/stories/2105-chefs-for-kids.

‘It’s a unique program,’ explains Certified Master Chef Gustav Mauler, owner of Spiedini restaurant outside of Las Vegas, and a staunch supporter of Chefs for Kids. ‘We went to under privileged schools and started a nutrition program to teach the kids how to eat. You’d be surprised, in some of the poorer areas, how the kids don’t know how to eat. We are a country of abundance, and we need to start kids off right.’