GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) – Scholars and families at the Downtown Market got an unforgettable surprise when Governor Gretchen Whitmer made a special visit to Taste Buddies.
Taste Buddies is a collaborative effort between GRPS Family & Community Engagement (F.A.C.E.) and Corewell Health. The program gives GRPS families a hands-on opportunity to cook nutritious dishes alongside their children, guided by a professional local chef.
“Food is medicine, you are what you eat,” explained Elizabeth Suvedi, the Manager of Culinary Medicine at Corewell Health. “The food that you are eating significantly impacts your overall health.”
During her visit, Governor Whitmer got a firsthand look at the program in action, observing families as they assembled healthy dishes together in the Downtown Market kitchen.
The menu earned high praise from young chefs.
“We made the key lime pie,” said Jack, a fifth-grader at Congress Elementary. “Oh yeah, it's good.”
“Plenty of cutting things up, mixing, assembling,” said Archer, also a fifth-grader at Congress Elementary. “I love it because I like cooking.”
“Once they make it in our kitchen, they're like, ‘Oh, I will be making this at home now. It's really delicious,’” Suvedi said. “When you teach a few people something, they go out in the community, they then teach other people.”
“This is an opportunity to learn about the benefits, the how-tos, and to really ignite that passion for cooking,” explained Ben Cannon, F.A.C.E. Coordinator. “The amazing Governor Whitmer, Big Gretch as she is so known, just to have that opportunity to see her buy into the work that we're able to do.”
Taste Buddies happens monthly, alternating between in-person and virtual classes. Sign-up information can be found in the monthly F.A.C.E. newsletter emailed to families.
