Congratulations to our very own Genie Foster for being featured by the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank! We love Genie and all of our cafeteria staff at WP! 
Some chefs specialize in pasta dishes. Others love baking bread, or dessert. But, Chef Genie Foster, the chef at the Boys & Girls Club of Waynesboro, Staunton, & Augusta County, specializes in finding creative culinary ways to encourage kids to eat healthy food.
Take her green beans, for example. “The thing about it, is kids don’t like vegetables,” she said. “But, when I cook green beans, I spice it up and put stuff in it and all of a sudden, the kids are like, ‘Oh my gosh, what did you do with that?’”
Chef Genie has spent her career trying to figure out little tricks that help ensure kids are eating healthy food. And she’s seen the difference it can make.
“When kids are full, their energy is higher, the way they react to you, the way they play, it’s different when they have food in their stomach. But when kids are hungry, you’ll see them in the corner, not wanting to play,” she said.
Genie is always looking for new ways to get kids to try healthy food. “Plain applesauce is another good example,” she said. “The kids were like, ‘oh, it’s so plain!’ So, I added a little cinnamon and just a bit of brown sugar and all of a sudden, it’s gone.”
Genie is a master of tinkering recipes and adding ingredients – but her secret ingredient isn’t something you can stir into a pot.
“I really do make the food with love,” she said. “For me, if I love the food and put love into it, I know the kids will love it too.”
The Boys and Girls Club works with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to provide meals during the summer and after school. Thank you, Chef Genie and the Boys & Girls Club, for helping kids all year round!