Chef Michael Smith – A tall order for Half Your Plate
By Canadian Packaging staff
Sustainability Canadian Produce Marketing Association Chef Michael Smith CPMA Half Your Plate St. Mary Catholic SchoolRenowned Canadian chef Michael Smith takes the Half Your Plate message from the classroom to the Ontario legislature.
On October 28, 2015, 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.
“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,” says 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,” says St. Mary Catholic School elementary teacher Brian Palić.
Chef Smith then took the Half Your Plate message to an event at Queen’s Park for the Ontario Legislature where he reminded participants that people 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 people 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.
For more information on how to select, store, and prepare different fruits and veggies as well as budgeting tips and recipes, visit www.halfyourplate.ca. Half Your Plate is also on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram at @halfyourplate and #halfyourplate.
For more information please contact Vanessa Sherry of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association via e-mail at vsherry@cpma.ca or 613-226-4187 ext. 225.
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