What if my child has food allergies?

We don't use dairy, eggs, shellfish, synthetic dyes (red 40/yellow 5), refined white sugar or flour, or nuts in our classes. We make an effort to use gluten free options where taste and texture will not be sacrificed, unless we've got a wheat sensitivity. If your child has allergies or special dietary needs, we'll do our best to accomodate! We don't recommend sending a child with life threatening allergies to our classes. Though we clean and sanitize the cooking space, and ensure all children have washed and sanitized propertly, we are cooking in common areas at schools, not a commercial kitchen, and can't ensure a 100% sterile environment.

What does my child need to bring to class?

A willingness to learn and a positive attitude! We'll provide the rest: food, cooking utensils, paper goods, craft supplies, and more. You can purchase an apron upon enrollment or by emailing us at info@vege-cooking.com.

How do I sign my child up for the after-school cooking club?

Visit our registration page to find out what classes are available for enrollment. If you don’t see anything in your area, check out our virtual options!

How do you keep the cooking spaces and kids clean?

Food safe handling practices, proper handling of kid-safe knives and peelers, sanitation and cleanliness are reviewed at the start of every class. We take safety and sanitation very seriously. All surfaces are cleaned before, during and after class. Kids wash hands at the start of class, periodically during class, after bathroom use, and any time they touch their hair, face, clothing, shared surfaces, their nose, feet, eyes....you get the picture! We're sticklers for cleanliness.

Do you only cook vegetables?

No, we make all kinds of recipes! We make cookies, pancakes, soups, salads, tacos, burgers and more.

Are your recipes vegan?

Our healthy cooking classes are whole-foods, plant-based, with the exception of oils. We do use some coconut or olive oil (unless there are special needs.)

1. Plant foods are better suited for our classroom environment. Pantry foods and plant foods are ingredients that can better be time and temperature controled for food safety and prevention of cross contamination and foodborne illness.

2. We are aware of food allergies to eggs, dairy, shellfish, etc. (more on allergies later)

3. We know kids nowadays are eating plenty of pizzas, burgers and nuggets. We don't need to teach them how to eat them!

Our goal is to help you and your child learn to cook and love their veggies in a fun and safe environment.

What makes your program different than other cooking classes?

After-school cooking clubs: Our one-of-a-kind nutrition-focused class structure offers both one-on-one time with the teacher and the opportunity to work within a team environment. In our classes kids learn by doing, NOT by direct instruction/lecturing. Teen and adult demos: Why should kids have all the fun? Our adult classes are a fun mixture of easy nutrition info, kitchen skills, demonstration and (the best part....sampling!). You'll love how our teachers offer wisdom and life experience to enrich the classes. Virtual classes: For both our kids and adults classes we offer live, online learning where you and your kids can prep and cook the recipe with the teacher, ask questions, show your work, and while food cooks, either participate in an interactive activity or watch a fun, themed slide show to learn more about the main nutrition point of the day! ​ Our portable kitchen is brought directly to your location where we can whisk, chop, bake, sauté and even roast!

Who are your teachers?

A team of rock stars! ​ It’s not me that creates the magic for the kids – it’s our super-awesome, passionate group of culinary educators. ​ Each of our teachers brings something unique to the table - teaching, cooking, travel, gardening, permaculture and even ecoliteracy experience. They're all food safe handling certified, trained in fire safety, and trained in classroom management. Together we create the activities and curriculum and each culinary educator is an integral part of the program. ​ We hope you love the classes! ​ Happy Cooking, Dawn Hutchins VegeFounder

Who writes the recipes and curriculum?

New curriculum and recipes are provided each year by founder, Dawn Hutchins. In addition, we've partnered with registered dietitian, Heather Borders, Chief Empowerment Officer at Kailo Nutrition to assist in development of our nutrition guidelines.

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More about Heather Borders, MBA, RD, LD/N

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After a personal experience with addressing high cholesterol through diet, Heather Borders was inspired to help individuals devise strategies to overcome the common challenges associated with implementing sustainable lifestyle changes.

As a Registered Dietitian, her clinical interests include gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight management.

Will the kids be using knives?

Proper handling of kid-safe knives and peelers are reviewed at the start of every class. Education on stoves and ovens and other sharp utensils is offered during appropriate classes.

How do the virtual classes work?

1. You sign up for the class or session you are interested in at https://www.vege-cooking.com/virtual.
2. Friday before class you'll get the ingredient list.
3. The morning of the class you'll get a reminder.
4. 30 minutes before class you'll get the Zoom link.
5. We prep, cook and taste together. You can feel free to ask questions and show your work during class!
6. After class you'll get the replay and final recipe.