HARLEM — Cabbage from the backyard garden. Canned chickpeas from the top shelf. A dash of curry powder. A baguette and some bay leaves.
These were just some of the ingredients used by several teens and seniors to whip up healthy plates on a budget.
Five teams whirled around the kitchen at The Community Kitchen in West Harlem, a program run by Food Bank For New York City, to compete in a healthy eating tournament on Monday.
The teams used items from local bodegas and the organization’s kitchen and backyard garden to teach the seniors how to create cheap, nutritious bites.
One team made a burger of chickpeas and zucchinis. Another made a cabbage and rice dish.
Seniors were giddily tasting the dishes, such as the baguette slices with pasta, garnished with oranges and grapes.
“It was the most beautiful thing to work with the children,” said Calvin Hicks, 63. “They have good ideas about health eating habits. It put me in that frame of mind of making the best of what you have.”
Caitlin Fitzpatrick, the organization's youth engagement manager, said in the Harlem area — and many areas across the city — there are a number of low-income seniors who miss meals and the program was a way to show how nutritious meals can be made on a tight budget.
“It’s all about low-cost items that are locally available,” Fitzpatrick said.
The teens were part of the organization's EATWISE internship, where high schoolers learn about nutrition and healthy eating during the summer months, among other topics.
