On June 5th, 2025, The Nutrition Unit partnered with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College Hospitality and Maritime Training Institute to host an exciting culinary event, Inter-Secondary Cook Off.
This thrilling competition, held in celebration of Nutrition Awareness Week, brought together students to showcase their culinary skills and creativity while promoting healthy eating and active living.
The students were tasked with preparing both a lunch and a dessert, with two key ingredients—plantain and Vincentian cocoa—taking center stage in the dishes. To emphasize the importance of healthy cooking methods, the focus of the competition was on FBDG (Food-Based Dietary Guidelines) #3: “Use healthier cooking methods such as baking, grilling, steaming, and boiling when preparing meals.” This challenge encouraged participants to explore nutritious, flavorful ways to cook, keeping in mind the theme for the week: **“Healthy Eating, Active Living: Savor the Flavor, Eat Right to Live Bright.”**
The competition truly highlighted the innovation and creativity of the students, who not only worked under the pressure of a tight timeline but also demonstrated strong teamwork and collaboration as they prepared their dishes. The event truly displayed the students’ culinary talent and their ability to think outside the box, producing dishes that were as nutritious as they were delicious.
At the conclusion of the cook-off, all schools and participants walked away with prizes, celebrating their hard work and dedication. The results of the competition were as follows:
1st Place: The Girls High School
2nd Place: Central Leeward Secondary School
3rd Place: Buccament Bay Secondary School
4th Place: West St. George Secondary School
Overall, the Inter-Secondary Cook-Off not only fostered healthy competition but also promoted the importance of nutritious eating habits and physical well-being in a fun and engaging way for the students of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
SOURCE: Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment
