The “Big Rig” Mobile Teaching Kitchen

The “Big Rig” Mobile Teaching Kitchen

Wed 23 May 2012

Story by The Food Revolution Team
 

The Food Revolution’s Mobile Teaching Kitchen, known as the “Big Rig”, has been travelling around Southern California since May of 2011 offering healthy cooking classes and nutritional education to various community groups and residents. It has so far made stops in South Central Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana and several other areas in Southern California.

The classes on the truck run a five week course and provide a variety of recipes to the participants through the teaching of culinary professionals trained by the Jamie Oliver food team. The truck has a fully equipped kitchen, allowing the students to get hands-on learning experience and to begin making food from scratch at a young age.

Goals of the Big Rig



The Big Rig truck is designed to bring back food education to both children and families alike. By teaching basic cooking skills in a friendly, attentive environment, they are setting kids up for life with the tools to prepare simple, wholesome meals from scratch and live a healthier lifestyle.

Classes on the truck show students how to read nutrition labels and information, and teach how to create healthier meals by swapping some ingredients for others. The recipes taught on the Big Rig are set to meet USDA standards laid out in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The lessons taught on the Big Rig also show students where food comes from, so they learn the important difference between fresh, natural foods and processed foods filled with additives.

The Big Rig is not only for children, however. It is never too late to learn how to cook, as seen by the number of adults who also learn basic skills on the cooking truck.

After each five week course is completed, each student who attended all 5 classes receives a certificate of achievement. In addition, the program host where the Big Rig was located receives a certificate of appreciation for supporting the program in their community.

Some Participant Feedback



Esther Del Valle “Thank you so much to this great project that has given us the opportunity to learn and practice cooking skills”

Laura Soto (39 yrs) “It was very nice and funny. I learned many new things and I’m happy because I’m teaching my children too, and now they participate more at cooking time.”

Treavonne Bostic (11 yrs) “This was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life!”

Malaysia Petty “The class was awesome. It was a wonderful experience. My mom doesn’t really know how to cook, so now I can help out.”

Kathleen Irvine (59 yrs) “Fantastic program—thanks everyone!! Very inspiring, I can tell the difference in the students’ attitudes when they come to the New City Farm—much more engaged.”

Carolina Sanchez (34 yrs) “I loved it! Everyone is so friendly and knows so much. Both my two kids and myself learned so much and enjoyed it so much! Thank you to everyone who made this possible and who is a part of such a wonderful program.”

Alicia Escańuela (31 yrs) “I love that the children are able to participate and loved the demos showing how much salt, sugar and fats are in the foods they eat. Demos bring awareness and hopefully encourage them to make healthier eating choices.”

Maria A. “I want to tell you how grateful I am about Jamie’s Food Revolution because this is an opportunity to know how to change my lifestyle with more healthy meals. To all the staff that has taken the time to educate us and be part of making a difference in our lives, I hope that you fulfill soon the dream of the permanent kitchens here in Long Beach, CA. If it happens I would love to be a part of it.”

Lizarrasa, a 40-something participant of the Big Rig cooking classes, was shocked by what she learned in the course. “As a grown adult believe it or not I do not know how to cook,” she stated. “I really enjoyed this class. It taught me how simple it is to cook at home. It is a matter of making time.”

The Big Rig is currently located at UCLA Medical Plaza in Los Angeles, California. If you’re interested in sponsoring the Big Rig to come to your area, contact us here or email us at FoodRevolution@jamieoliver.com.

The Food Revolution Team