Why We Think Food Equity Matters
Food equity has been an important part of Sticky Fingers Cooking since the inception of the business to provide after-school programs for kids.
When Sticky Fingers Cooking was founded at a neighborhood elementary school in Denver, there was a desire to include all of the kids even if that meant accommodating a food allergy, overcoming a financial obstacle, or modifying the lesson for any disabilities.
The Partnership for a Healthier America defines food equity as everyone having access to good food—"food that is affordable, sustainable, nutritious, high-quality, and culturally connected. We also know that there is no true equity in society without health equity, and that there is no health equity without Food Equity.”
Sticky Fingers Cooking is in full agreement with this statement and believes the franchisees who join the brand will also be committed to this purpose of creating food equity through classes.
Cooking as a Life Skill
Life is full of opportunities and choices, but there are some basic necessities that each person should establish to function optimally and cooking is one of them. Dining out is awesome! However, it’s not realistic, or even healthy or economical, to get takeout food or eat at a restaurant for every meal.
When someone knows how to cook a meal for themselves and others, they likely also know a little about nutrition. The knowledge of what food is good for a body (and what food isn’t beneficial) is so important as people navigate life and the many easy, cheap, and not-so-healthy choices available. Eating good makes you feel good, usually, and this in turn means being in a better mood which can improve personal relationships and attitude.
Sticky Fingers Cooking is a program for children so these life skills can be learned young and evolve as they grow into adults. Even a recipe of three ingredients can provide useful information about sugar, fiber, protein, vitamins, and more. Also, when you are creating a dish—rather than just buying something already made—you are aware of the power of each item included, from spice to vegetable.
Food Access
The ability to buy nutritious food and have the time to make a meal comes down to economics and not everyone has the same access to these fundamentals.
Sticky Fingers Cooking has given over $1.5 million to schools in scholarships and fundraising and this is so that kids in every kind of neighborhood from any type of socioeconomic background can learn about nutrition and cooking skills at school in one of our programs.
Now it could be your turn as a franchisee to create local scholarships so that all kids in participating schools will have a chance to learn from Sticky Fingers Cooking and develop this life skill. When you do, that’s food equity at work.
Food Allergies and Equity
A food allergy might seem like a small thing to someone who isn’t living with one, but these allergies are more than an inconvenience.
In order to serve children with food challenges that require medication, Sticky Fingers Cooking was created with recipes that deliberately exclude the top food allergens:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Tree nuts
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Shellfish
- Sesame
- Fish
All recipes are vegetarian as well.
For a child with a food allergy to be welcomed into a classroom that is safe for them to learn, cook, share, and eat with their friends is important and means that everyone is being treated equally.
Doing More Together
As a franchisee at Sticky Fingers Cooking, you will join this effort to develop more food equity for children and families. The model that has already proven to be a success embraces food equity at its heart and so your role will be expanding this in your local market, school by school.
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