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Students from IDEA Lakeland pose with judges and school leaders after competing in the Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge, a cooking competition focused on healthy, globally inspired dishes. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow
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“I love the taste of ‘Marry Me Chicken’ … in my book it would be 10 out of 10,” Nathaniel Barrios, 12, said as he prepared a creamy pasta dish with chicken, sundried tomatoes, and parmesan.
Nathaniel Barrios prepares a pasta dish during the competition. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow
He chose the dish, in part because it was something he felt confident making under time pressure — a key factor in live competition.
Next to him, fifth grader Yulianna Andujar, 11, layered fried sweet plantains, savory seasoned meat, and cheese into a Puerto Rican pastelón.
“It’s a tradition … usually,” she said, explaining that her mother helped inspire the recipe she brought to the competition.
Yulianna Andujar presents a Puerto Rican pastelón with the help of a Sodexo staff member during the competition. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow
For her, the experience was less about winning and more about sharing something meaningful.
“All I like about it is now everybody gets to try it,” Yulianna said after the competition.
First grader Vitor Gabriel, 6, made pan con queso, a soft bread stuffed with cheese that he plated next to some fresh raspberries. A young man of few words, Vitor finished his dish ahead of his competitors and sampled a few pan con queso morsels while the others wrapped up their dishes.
The next generation of chefs
Vitor Gabriel stands beside freshly baked Brazilian cheese bread during competition.
These three talented junior chefs from IDEA Lakeland went head to head on Wednesday, March 25, in the competition that highlights healthy, globally-inspired dishes.
Nathaniel, Yulianna, and Vitor sliced, diced, mixed, and poured their way through the competition, each showcasing their culinary creativity in a live cook-off.
“Our scholars are our next generation of chefs … our next generation of nutritionists,” said James Quinneville, general manager of nutrition services at IDEA Lakeland. “The whole goal of this is to teach kids that there’s something outside of fast food … options of healthy food that they can actually learn to cook themselves.”
The event reflects a growing effort to connect students with food, culture, and hands-on learning to shape how students think about nutrition — and their relationship to it.
For some students, school meals are one of the most consistent sources of daily nutrition, making early exposure to healthy cooking especially impactful.
In Polk County, about 1 in 5 children — roughly 33,000 kids — experience food insecurity, highlighting the importance of programs that make healthy food both accessible and engaging.
More than a competition
While the event carried the energy of a cooking show, complete with live judging and plated presentations, the long-term goal is much broader.
Students from IDEA Lakeland react during the Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow
Programs like this introduce students to healthy ingredients, global cuisines, and basic cooking skills, helping them build confidence in the kitchen at a young age.
“Our overall goal with IDEA and Sodexo is to make sure that we’re healthy. IDEA’s goal itself is to be one of the healthiest school districts within the country, and this program helps promote and build that,” said Quinneville.
Winning recipes may be featured on future school menus, giving students a chance to see their ideas come to life in their own cafeterias.
The approach comes at a time when schools are increasingly seen as key spaces for shaping lifelong eating habits, particularly for students who may rely primarily on school meals.
From cafeteria to classroom
The event, part of a national Sodexo program now in its 16th year, reaches more than 2,500 students across 30 states.
At IDEA Lakeland, 36 students submitted original recipes inspired by global cuisines as part of this year’s theme, “Passport to Flavor.” Four finalists were selected to compete in the live cook-off.
Principal Deborah Wright said, “We are totally about math, science, English, and social studies, but we’re also about bringing scholars opportunities to really expand their minds and expand their opportunities. So this is just one of many things to come.”
Culinary confidence and creativity
The students’ dishes were evaluated on originality, taste, kid-friendliness, healthy ingredients, ease of preparation, and presentation.
Judges (from left) Melissa Vann of Lakeland BBQ, Larry Little of the City of Lakeland, and Grenea Taylor of Gigi’s Sweet Treats evaluate student dishes. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow
The goal was to impress judges Larry Little, director of communications for the City of Lakeland, Grenea Taylor, owner of Gigi’s Sweet Treats, and Melissa Vann, co-owner of Lakeland BBQ.
For the judges, technical skills mattered — but something else stood out even more.
“I was very impressed by their confidence,” Little said.
Other judges echoed that sentiment, pointing to the students’ creativity and willingness to step into the kitchen and present their work.
“The confidence that they showed … and the fact that they wanted to get in the kitchen was very impressive,” said Taylor.
What’s next for the competitors?
Yulianna Andujar poses with school and event leaders during the Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow
Yulianna Andujar took first place and will advance among 40 regional finalists in the national competition.
“I’m excited but also a little nervous,” she said moments after winning, still processing the results.
“I was wondering where that unexpected sweetness came from, and realized it was plantains. Very creative, she layered it very well, very confident — they all did a great job!” said Vann.
For many of the students, the biggest takeaway wasn’t the competition itself.
It was the opportunity to step into the kitchen, try something new, and discover what they’re capable of creating.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
