Paseo Pointe student Marion Colum was one of four finalists in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona 2019 Walk On! Kids Cooking Challenge.

This statewide competition invites kids between the ages of 9 and 12 to submit ideas for healthy side dish recipes. Recipes had to be original, include at least one fruit or vegetable, and be able to be prepared in 20 minutes or less. Marion’s dish was his “Healthy Salad” that was filled with broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and carrots.

Recipe submissions underwent a three-part scoring process. First, a nutrition specialist reviewed all the recipe submissions and chose the top five finalists based on each recipe’s nutritional balance between vegetables, fruits and other ingredients. Then the top five finalists participated in a public event at a Phoenix Suns home game, where game attendees had a chance to taste and vote for their favorite recipe. For the third part of the scoring process, videos of contestants discussing what makes their recipe so good were posted online for a public vote.

To find his recipe, visit the Walk On! website.