26 Nikki Castagneto and Green Ninja Cooks - Motivating Kids to Play with their Food

    "I've always had a dream of doing a kid's cookbook," says Green Ninja Cooks Author and Master of Nom, Nikki Castagneto. "Who doesn't want to be a ninja or possess superhuman powers?" Enter our hero, the Green Ninja. Of course, instead of swords, this ninja has kitchen tools and the superpowers are used for exploring the benefits, uses, and tastes of superfoods! Green Ninja Cooks is equal parts imagination and an immersive hands-on experience with food play. The 'Play with Food' cookbook zine series, debuting this summer and written by Castagneto and illustrated by Jess Engle, turns kids into Green Ninja cooks by teaching them how to harness the power of plant-based food. "Our Ninja wakes up, does his stretches, drinks his nutritious ninja smoothie, and sets off on a journey to explore food," explains Castagneto. Throughout the books, kids not only learn fun facts and clever ways to interact with foods, but also accumulate three to four simple recipes as well. In addition to the zine series, Castagneto and Engle bring the Green Ninja to life through their immersive, holistic, hands-on appearances around Austin. The goal is to teach kids how to assemble fruits and vegetables in a safe, delicious, and informative way, while giving them interactive missions that range from exploring the mysterious lands where food comes from, to building healthy daily habits that'll last a lifetime.   "Through local events, the cookbook zine and other online activities, we want to show that nutritious foods are fun. Hopefully, kids will emerge from our mission as part of a community of Green Ninja Cooks, actively involved in their journey to a healthy life." Learn More About Green Ninja Cooks: Website Instagram Casa de Luz Little Yoga House Edible Austin   Theme Music: "Aitech" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/