Ok, the kids pictured may be a bit too young, but you get the picture, right? That's right, Bravo wants to expand on its top rated Top Chef.

The cable television channel is planning a spinoff of Top Chef for the younger set, probably 13 to 16 year olds. Apparently the show is pretty popular with teen viewers, along with most other demographics.

The teen version of the show will focus on "teaching and testing" the kids to "see what it takes to become a junior Top Chef." The series will be eight episodes, but no word yet on when it will air.

[via The Grinder]

Coffee is hip (actually, it's been that way for several years now), and everyone is drinking it, including kids and teens. When I was a kid, we never drank coffee. It was seen as a "grown-up" thing to do, right up there with having sex, smoking cigarettes, and mortgages. But now you see kids and teens with a Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts cup in their hands, and coffee shoppes are the new malt shoppes.

The Boston Globe's Beth Teitell has an interesting piece on the trend, noting how we try to cut high sugar sodas and fat-filled candy from schools but we're not really thinking about high calorie/high fat/high sugar coffee drinks. Funny how coffee was always seen as an adult thing when soda has caffeine and sugar in it too.

First there was Disney's "Champagne" for kids, and now the authorities (whoever those authorities may be) are all over Spyke. However, unlike the kiddie Champagne that was "just for pretend," Anheuser-Busch's new Spyke has real alcohol - it's a malt beverage with a 12% alcohol content.

The reason there's a stink about it? People are worried that Spyke is aimed at teens, particularly during Prom and graduation season. Not only does the drink come in flavors -- mango, lime, melon and chocolate -- but it's also infused with caffeine and energy herbs ginseng and guarana, and it comes in a tiny bottle that's easily hidden from a parent's or chaperone's watchful eye.

The authorities are worried about Ab's reckless marketing to teens, but I worry that this is just a nasty drink. I mean really, "spyking" your cocktail with a chocolate-flavored malt liquor? Gross.

Foodies, it seems, are getting younger and younger. This isn't necessarily a bad thing by any means, but it seems to have created a new market for those school-age kids who hope to "feast with friends" like their adult counterparts do. British teen Sam Stern is trying to fill part of this niche with his book, Cooking Up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook. Dubbed a "young Jamie Oliver," Stern got the help of his mother to concoct relatively easy gourmet recipes aimed at teens and focused on guys, as the chapter titled "Impress the Girls" hints at. The recipes have a casual tone and are not difficult for those who already have some experience in the kitchen to do entirely on their own. Recipes run the gamut from breakfast through dessert, and include mains like Thai Green Curry and French Onion soup and sweets like meringue shells and cookies.

I have a suspicion that - foodies or not - the parents will be doing a fair amount of the cooking for these "feasts," but it's a great idea all the same.

Muhammad Ali is developing a line of GOAT snacks - that would be Greatest Of All Time brand, not "goat" the animal - that are reduced in fat and calories, aimed at combating youth obesity and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The now 64-year old ex-championship fighter's snacks will be found in convenience stores, providing an alternative to the high-fat snacks there. No snack will contain more than 150 calories and all will be fortified with vitamins and fiber. The products will carry sporty, fighter names like "Rumble," "Shuffle" and "Jabs" and come in flavors that include barbecued chicken, Buffalo wings, sweet corn and cole slaw, as well a sweet, fruit-based flavors. Portion sizes will be small, but they have been designed this way to fit into the current trend of "grazing" throughout the day. "The foods are intended to be eaten throughout the day, in seven 'rounds,'" said a spokesman.

Sure, it sounds like a marketing ploy, but if the snacks taste good and are healthier than regular potato chips, it doesn't really matter in the end. The snacks will launch on Ali's 65th birthday, January 17th, 2007.

Read on to see exactly how the snacks compare to potato chips:

Apparently it is no longer "Cool-2B-Real." Some of you may remember a site by that name, created a few years ago by the National Cattleman's Beef Association as a way to get teen and "tween" age girls to keep eating beef. That age group is rather prone to going vegetarian, says a Time article about the site. As this online petition against the site reminded me, Cool-2B-Real featured a survey with the question "What type of beef do you most like to eat with your friends?"  If I recall correctly, the site also featured a blurb from a young female figure skater that was somehow related to eating beef. I recently went to check up on the site, and to my surprise, I found Zip4Tweens. Using numbers instead of words is obviously still cool, but this kid-geared beef site isn't nearly as bizarre as Cool-2B-Real. There are still plenty of beef recipes and diet-related games, but damn it, it's just not as weird. I think I actually saw some salad recipes on there.

I've heard it a number of times either in a friend's kitchen or at the drop off line at school, it's always mentioned in somewhat hushed tones. "She's a vegetarian now, you know." Or, "No, he won't eat that anymore, he's a vegetarian all of a sudden."

These comments are usually met with eye rolls and knowing nods of the head. For many households, the switch of a teenager's diet means two different meals to prepare, more shopping to do and yet another battle with the resident teen. Statistics show that many teens currently classify themselves as vegetarians. The reasons vary widely: health, religion, ethics, weight, fashion, environment. Whatever the case, the trend is growing.

Evidence that vegetarian eating is more and more abundant: veggie burgers, edamame and soy products are available at more grocery stores. Fast food restaurants are offering more vegetarian options.

I became a vegetarian when I was 15. By the time I was 19, I was a full fledged vegan. I read John Robbin's Diet for a New America and became inspired to abandon all animal products. However, when I had a child at age 22, the efforts of preparing vegan meals became too much and I fell off the wagon and stopped by a KFC. If my teenager were to suddenly give up ham and pepperoni, I think I would support him and maybe even join him.

Teen consumption of energy drinks is way up and the reason for their popularity is primarily their caffeine content. A Red Bull has 9.64mg of caffeine per ounce, while a Coke only has 2.83 mg per ounce (Pepsi has 3.17mg). The extra caffeine can help to keep the chronically sleep-deprived awake, but more interesting to the students this time of year is the fact that caffeine can potentially help them concentrate slightly better in class or on exams by making them more alert.  Columnists at the Mercury News - judged to be amateur, moderate or pro caffeine consumers - tested three popular drinks: Red Bull, Rockstar (9.38mg/oz.) and Monster (8.75mg/oz.). They rated them on taste and how long it took the boost to kick in. Not completely scientific, perhaps, but an interesting look at the drinks and certainly a good start for anyone looking to get through finals. 

 

Even if they don't have a particularly large sweet tooth, most teens aren't going to turn down dessert. That's why Teens Cook Dessert might be a more effective way to get your teen interested in actually using the kitchen, not just eating in it. The book was written by two Arizona State University students and is meant to present recipes to high school and college aged budding chefs in an accessible way. For example, the recipes for chocolate chip cookies and apple pie may take a few shortcuts, but they're not the most cutting-edge recipes on the block. In this case, it doesn't matter. A teen who has an interest is more likely to be receptive to a book targeted at him (or her) than he might be towards a Martha Stewart or Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Overall, the book reminds me a bit of a well-done food blog. It has great pictures dotted throughout and has an informal, friendly tone. There are tips about making the recipes, and about cooking in general, that seem like a "real" person is sharing them - not a potentially intimidating professional chef.

This might make a really good graduation/end-of-the-school-year gift because it'll give kids something fun to do over the summer holiday. Not to mention that there will probably be leftovers to taste...

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association indicated that teens who are involved in athletic programs have healthier eating habits than those who are not involved in sport. The findings indicated that both the athletic boys and girls were more likely to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, not skipping meals and making healthier choices than their peers, though many of the girls still did not meet their nutritional requirements for calcium and iron.

The study was conducted by the Eating Disorders institute in Minnesota and, surprisingly, concluded that students in weight-based sports, such as wresting and gymnastics, had even better eating habits than other athletes. Researchers dismissed concerns that these pressures often lead to eating disorders, saying "it may be that youth involved in sports at a less elite level of athletics, such as the junior high and high school levels, are able to maintain better nutrient profiles than athletes involved at an elite level."