Phoenix's top chefs help Valley high school students

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - School cafeteria food won't be the same in the Valley thanks to a program uniting Phoenix's top chefs and high school students. Feeding the Future is back for its second year.

An eclectic mix of music, culture, and the main course, food. Six teams of high school students assisted by professional chefs served up what they envision eating in their own cafeterias.

The recipes must follow National School Lunch Nutritional Guidelines and financially the budget for each plate kept under $1.40.

"We get with the kids and we brainstorm and we get creative and we come up with some fun things," said Doug Robson, chef and owner of Otro Cafe and Gallo Blanco Cafe.

"A lot of my friends are vegans, vegetarians, and I want to make a dish that's not just salad for them, so I made a vegetarian chili," said Keeley Erickson, a student at Perry High School.

Keeley Erickson has been apart of Perry High School's culinary arts program for three years fine tuning her skills.

"I love it cause I have a lot of fun with it and it's a really good hobby," said Erickson.

The first place dish was awarded with a $5,000 scholarship from Blue Watermelon Project.

Mentor chefs says this program is rewarding for them as well.

"It only takes a few kids to make a change, this is something they take on for the rest of their life," said Robson.

The winning dish dish, Teriyaki grilled shrimp and fried rice, was made by Amy Bueno of Deer Valley High School in Glendale.