BCBSAZ's cooking contest aims at motivating Arizona kids to improve daily food choices

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is launching its 2015 kids cooking contest aimed at motivating Arizona kids to incorporate healthy options into their daily food choices. For the fifth consecutive year, the company is looking for great-tasting, kid-inspired side dishes for the Walk On! Kids Cooking Challenge. Children ages 9–12, living anywhere in the state of Arizona, are encouraged to submit their healthy, and tasty, side dish creations for a chance to win great prizes and an opportunity to prepare and share their masterpiece at a Phoenix Suns home game.

"Not enough attention can be paid to the issue of childhood obesity," said Tara Cosentino, health promotion executive, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. "Teaching children at an early age how to make healthy food choices and prepare food that is not only good for them but is also tasty, is an invaluable lesson that will have lifelong benefits. The Walk On! Kids Cooking Challenge is a perfect way to facilitate family participation in meal preparation."

Contestants can submit recipes anytime between Jan. 1 – 21, 2015. Recipes must be:

• An original recipe for a hot or cold side dish
• Include at least one fruit and/or vegetable
• Able to be cooked within 20 minutes (not including prep time)

The top five recipes will be selected based on nutritional value, taste and originality. Finalists will be invited to present their creations at a public event Feb. 6 at the US Airways Center in central Phoenix. After the cooking demonstrations, recipe details will be posted online at www.walkonaz.com for a public vote. Voting will be open from Feb. 6 through Feb. 17.

Each of the five finalists will earn fun prizes and the grand prize winner will receive a new bike. The winner may also be asked to participate in local TV and newspaper interviews.

Last year's contest winner was 10-year-old Sophia Gray from Stepping Stones Academy in Anthem. Her winning dish was called "French-fry-like Green Beans."

"I entered the cooking contest because I thought it would be fun to share my recipe with people who like to cook," said Sophia. "I've been cooking since I was three years old when I would cook with my grandma."