Chef Kuylen and FAO Empower Over 100 School Cooks

More than 130 school cooks from across Belize have completed a nationwide culinary training initiative led by celebrated Belizean Chef Sean Kuylen, aimed at transforming school meals into healthier, locally inspired dishes.

The workshops, held between August 5 and August 23, were part of a project by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) titled “Increasing accessibility and acceptance of underutilized nutritious locally grown products in the national school feeding programs of Belize.” The initiative supports the National Healthy Start Feeding Program, which provides free daily meals to over 15,000 students.

A total of 139 cooks from 72 schools participated in one-day sessions held in each of Belize’s six districts. The training blended classroom instruction with hands-on cooking, focusing on food safety, standardised school menus, and the creative use of underutilised local ingredients.

Chef Kuylen guided participants through the preparation of 15 vibrant dishes featuring ingredients such as sweet potatoes, turmeric, pumpkin, chaya, callalloo, cassava, breadfruit, and green bananas. These ingredients, though included in official menus, are often overlooked in daily meal preparation.

“I’m pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make good, tasty meals with veggies,” said Hazel Castillo, a cook from Garden City Primary School. “When you think veggies, you think bland, but these have a lot of flavor.”

Each session concluded with a group lunch where cooks presented their dishes and shared their experiences. Children who attended with their parents also sampled the meals.