Our Story

”I’m allergic to salad!,” cried a student in cooking class, throwing herself on the ground to prove her dislike of vegetables. In the kitchen, we hear this line too many times: place something green on the table and a chorus of groans is likely to follow. 

Allergic to Salad began as a blog in September 2010 following the recipes and antics of Stacey Ornstein’s after-school cooking classes for elementary-aged students. Since then,  the organization has grown exponentially as interest in teaching children how to make delicious, healthy meals has broadened.  Today, Allergic to Salad services nearly 150 schools and sites across all five boroughs, reaching over 10,000 students annually.

We realize many claim they are “allergic to salad”– a convenient and understandable excuse in this era of pre-packaged industrialized food. Our work combats this widespread “allergy,” while increasing skills, technique, and familiarity with healthy foods, and creating a platform for a lifetime of adventurous eating through activity-filled classes.