TORONTO — Hellmann’s Canada is continuing its partnership with non-profit La Tablée des Chefs to educate young Canadians on the impact of food waste and how to re-purpose leftovers and common kitchen ingredients. With the average Canadian household wasting the equivalent of $1,352 in food annually, Hellmann’s Flexipes provides consumers with simple yet delicious meal ideas they can make at home.
Flexipes is a core component of La Tablée des Chefs’ Kitchen Brigades Program, which hosts culinary workshops for youth aged 13 to 17 across Canada. In addition to teaching basic cooking skills and healthy eating habits, the Kitchen Brigades educates students on the impact of food waste, while showcasing how to re-imagine leftovers by following a 3+1 Flexipe strategy, which involves:
- Picking a base, such as rice or pasta
- Using up fruits and/or vegetables
- Incorporating a protein
- Adding condiments
A 2021 study from Hellmann’s, in partnership with behavioural scientist firm BEworks, found that adopting a use-up-day once a week and incorporating a supporting Flexipe to use ingredients already in the kitchen, Canadians reduced the amount of food thrown away by one-third.
Hellmann’s and La Tablée des Chefs have also teamed up to reduce food waste in hockey arenas across the country. To date, more than two million meals have been rescued from arenas across Canada by re-purposing unused food, in partnership with Second Harvest. This year, the organizations are set to provide 300,000 meals to Canadians in need.
Additionally, La Tablée des Chefs plans to expand the Kitchen Brigades Program from 250 schools to 400 schools across Canada by 2025 helping even more students develop food autonomy. Upon completion of the program, students receive nearly 40 hours of practical training through culinary workshops, social challenges, competitions and more.
“Hellmann’s is always looking to help Canadians reduce food waste and one of the easiest ways to do this is getting creative with leftovers,” says Kristen Denega, Hellmann’s Canada Marketing lead. “We created Flexipes to help Canadians be more resourceful with the food they have at home. We’re thrilled to bring this valuable resource to La Tablée des Chefs and help inspire and educate the next generation of chefs on how to bring new life to their leftovers using Hellmann’s.”
“Our partnership with Hellmann’s is guided by our common goal to reduce food waste and make sure good food gets to people in need, rather than going to waste,” says Jean-François Archambault, general director and founder of La Tablée des Chefs. “In order to be part of the solution, you need to develop the right skills to cook and learn how to use ingredients wisely. The Kitchen Brigades is such an important part of our programming as it helps foster these skills in young chefs early.”
