Dole Announces Largest Virtual Cooking Class Ever for Retailers, Dietitians, and Influencers; Melanie Marcus Discusses
CHARLOTTE, NC - Exploring delicious, fresh-focused recipes from the comfort of my own home? Sign me up! Dole Food Company is continuing to provide virtual cooking instruction and nutrition education, this time announcing its largest virtual cooking class ever to inspire bloggers, influencers, and other food enthusiasts with easy and fun ways to cook healthy meals.
“Going virtual last year allowed us to share our healthy recipes and cooking tips with aspiring chefs and Dole and Disney fans across the country,” said Nutrition and Health Communications Manager Melanie Marcus, MA, RD. “It also showed the appetite that parents, grandparents, and heads of household have for making a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables more compelling for kids. Armed with those key learnings and an exciting new collaboration with Disney’s Ultimate Princess Celebration, we knew we wanted to make this year’s virtual party bigger and better than ever.”
According to a release, the Dole Virtual Cooking Class and Princess Banquet took place on August 5 and combined recipe preparation and in-kitchen cooking tips with presentations from Dole and Disney in support of its A Recipe for Courage and Kindness campaign.
Marcus hosted the Zoom Webinar event, leading over 50 food, health, nutrition, family, and lifestyle influencers through the easy preparation of three delicious recipes:
- Princess Pearls Punch: a blend of selected DOLE® fruits, white grape juice, and pearl tapioca balls honoring Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- Te Fiti Fudgy Coco Cake Pops: a healthy, Disney’s Moana-inspired dessert made with DOLE® Bananas, dates, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and coconut flakes
- Glass Slipper Veggie Tea Sandwiches: a vegetarian version of traditional tea sandwiches themed to Disney’s Cinderella
These three recipes are among a total of 20 original dishes inspired by Disney’s Princesses for the campaign, which continues through September 30. The virtual cooking class also included a recap of the Dole and Disney alliance, dating back to the 1970s, when Dole became sponsor of Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Virtual attendees also received updates on Disney’s Ultimate Princess Celebration and Dole’s nutrition education and recipe-development process, as well as dining etiquette tips to match the princess theme.
Dole originally planned for an in-person cooking class to support its “Now We’re (All) Cooking” initiative, but transitioned to a virtual event as a result of the pandemic. After witnessing its popularity, the company decided to roll out several additional virtual events to help parents get the necessary resources to build healthier homes.
Keep clicking on AndNowUKnow as we continue to report on the many strategies suppliers are implementing to boost the fresh produce industry as a whole.
