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Mission & Philosophy

KidsCOOK Productions - Creators of KickinKitchen.TV and Finky's Kitchen
 
 

KidsCOOK Productions is a premier kids entertainment media company producing transmedia programming for TV, the Web and Mobile applications.

Food and cooking are the perfect ingredients for making friends, laughing and staying healthy. KidsCOOK Productions aims to revolutionize food culture by giving kids around the world the tools, skills and inspiration to make changes for themselves, their families, friends and communities. Empowerment begins in the kitchen and KidsCOOK Productions encourages kids to harness that power and be healthy living activists in their communities and online.

KidsCOOK Productions aims to reduce childhood obesity. Approximately nine million children over the age of six in the U.S. are considered obese. The rise in obesity is pervasive in both girls and boys, and across socioeconomic and ethnic groups in all 50 states. Furthermore, childhood obesity can often harm a child's self-esteem, socialization, and academic performance.

KidsCOOK Productions believes that digital media plays a critical role in educating kids in order to prevent childhood obesity. In a time when 11-14 year-olds spend an average of 12 hours per day accessing some sort of media (internet, television, cell phones, etc.) we have a unique opportunity to reach these budding digital natives where they are – online, on the go, at school and at home. Our goal is to capitalize on kids' increasing use of media by creating innovative digital content that entertains and promotes laughter and interactivity while simultaneously teaching nutrition and fitness.

KidsCOOK Productions introduces young people to the exciting world of cooking, real food, and healthy lifestyles through its fully interactive website, KickinKitchen.TV. It's a platform for kids to communicate, cook, and create online and in real life, showing tweens what they are capable of – that they are the change-makers in their families, schools, and communities.

KickinKitchen.TV features comedic Webisodes, user-generated content, a recipe exchange showcasing affordable, quick and simple recipes, accessible nutrition information geared for kids, original music, contests, games, and iPhone applications.

Many kids' programs focus on teen pop stars and fashionistas, but where are the Top Kid Chefs? KickinKitchen.TV and Finky's Kitchen let kids take over their kitchens (with adult supervision) and become Top Chefs themselves! KickinKitchen.TV features relatable, positive role models – urban kids who are responsible for their own health. These characters are creating full, healthy lives tweens can emulate.

As part of KidsCOOK Productions educational outreach, KickinKitchen.TV Webisodes are available for download by teachers and community organizers accompanied by short 10-minute "nutrition bites and fitness fun" curriculum-based content. The curriculum, developed by nutrition and medical experts, provides quality interactive digital educational content to schools, communities, doctors' offices and health clinics. It gives kids the opportunity to be activists, advocates, and influencers in the future of food.

Every human being needs to eat. Why not make each time you put food in your mouth an opportunity to experience taste and pleasure, as well as feeling great after you've eaten? All the activities at KickinKitchen.TV are about enjoyment, building relationships and healthy living. Our style of food education is as rich and flavorful as the food itself.

We believe...

1. The best way to feed ourselves is with fresh food.
Choose natural, organic (when possible), never modified, real food.

2. Different bodies need different fuel.
Everyone's body is different and what's good fuel for one may not work for another. Respect and listen to your body, build your own personal food pyramid, but remember the best items to build your pyramid: fresh, organic (when possible), unmodified, real. Respect and listen to others.

3. Relationships matter.
Food is about more than just eating – it's about family, tradition, community, identity and storytelling. Help your parents and friends create a healthy, balanced – and tasty – relationship with food, so you and everyone around you can enjoy life more fully. What we put in our bodies affects not only our physical performance, but also our emotions and mood. So pay attention, recognize, and talk about how the food you're eating makes you feel.

4. Understanding what you eat is the key.
There are no "good" or "bad" real foods. Some food has been compromised – over-processed or adulterated in some way (for example: expired, tainted or otherwise gone bad). Choose foods that are as closest to their natural state as possible. Does that mean being Vegan? No, not necessarily. It means just one thing: EAT REAL FOOD.

5. There's always time.
Even when you're on the go, there's time to eat smart. Restaurants are offering more healthful options than ever before. Same with food manufacturers – packaged food can be good for you if you know what to look for (less salt, closest-to-fresh food). So even if you don't have time to cook, you CAN ALWAYS make healthy choices. And, we will show you how to read nutrition labels to help you figure out what packaged foods are good choices.

6. It's a balancing act.
Moderation and balance are health essentials. Real portion sizes are often a fraction of the amount of food on your plate. Learn what one portion size looks like and use this information when you eat – at home, at restaurants and on the go. The actual portions your body needs to fuel itself will surprise you.

7. Calories and energy expended go hand-in-hand
When it comes to losing or gaining weight, absent a medical condition, calories count. If you consistently take in more calories than you use in your daily activities, you'll gain weight. Conversely, if you consistently use up more calories than you take in, you'll lose weight. Every teenager needs to understand the balancing act between consuming calories and expending energy.

8. Lifestyle counts – moderation is the key
To keep a healthy weight, balance and moderation are the keys, both in what we eat and what we do. Here are some suggestions: Get regular, full nights of sleep; sit down for three balanced, delicious, modest-sized meals a day (with family and friends when possible); eat breakfast; get some moderate exercise every day; and probably it's best not to eat after dinner. When you need to grab a snack occasionally, make it a healthy one.

9. Getting the balance right so your body gets the right nutrients
For overall healthy nutrition, it's about more than just calories. You have to look at what you're eating. You can eat the right number of calories, but if it all came from pizza, then your body isn't getting the nutrition it needs. When in doubt, reach for fresh fruits and vegetables.

10. Go play.
Staying healthy is about fitness too. Doctors recommend that children get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. And, just like getting creative in the kitchen, you can find fun ways to stay fit with your friends and family.

11. Invest for the future.
Healthy kids grow up to be healthy adults. Eighty percent of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years (Centers for Disease Control). If you can stay a normal, healthy weight through age 25, you've got a good chance of staying a healthy, normal weight all your life. By encouraging healthy eating habits today you can save lives tomorrow.

12. Cooking rules.
Cooking invites you to a party every night. Opening your kitchen and inviting others to share your table is one of the few centuries-old gifts we still enjoy today. And when you feed others, you nurture more than just their physical bodies – you feed their spirits. Stories are best told around a table filled with friends and delicious food. Cook, Taste, Savor and Enjoy life!