Tween-age Chef Committed to Getting Kids Cooking

I am in awe of a 12 year old. Last week Haile Thomas appeared on Today to share her commitment to helping kids make better food choices. In her segment with Al Roker, Haile, who has been cooking since age five in her mother's kitchen, prepared a black bean and corn quinoa salad with garlic shrimp and avocado, the same recipe she recently prepared for First Lady Michelle Obama as part of the first Kids’ State Dinner.

Intrigued by watching food documentaries, Haile "started asking questions about where my food comes from and what I was eating," she told Today. She signed up for the youth advisory board of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization that tries to combat childhood obesity, and soon started working with local chefs doing cooking demonstrations. Haile now hosts her own online show, “Kids Can Cook,” where she offers online kids cooking classes on how to prepare nourishing meals from with simple ingredients.

In addition she's partnering with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts to help the chain come up with healthier kid-friendly menu items. The Tucson native is the founder and director of the Tucson-based HAPPY Organization, Inc., which serves to improve the health and wellness of Arizona youth and families.

Amid alarming statistics about rampant childhood obesity and lack of cooking skills among young people, Haile is setting an inspiring example by showing peers that preparing good food does not have to be complicated. It all comes down to healthful ingredients, simply prepared. “I hope to make a difference by inspiring other kids to embrace a healthy lifestyle, and become educated about how good and bad food affects their bodies, overall health and quality of life,” Haile said.