Zucchini can be blitzed beyond its "yucky green veggie” status and right into the mouths of babes.

These are some of the things a committed group of Albury High School teenagers mull over every Wednesday.

They make meals that will appeal to kids, who may turn their noses up at vegetables.

It is part of The Carevan Foundation’s Kids Cooking and Caring Program, which has been running in Albury-Wodonga high schools for eight years.

Albury High School's crew makes meals for the needy – including many kids – at Westside Community Centre in West Albury every week.

Carevan chief executive officer Stacey Franklin says the students have to think about making nutritious food appealing to the children.

"There is a lot of vitamising going on," she quips.

"They make beautiful big trays of lasagne loaded with vegetables and big salads on the side." 

Albury High School Year 9 student Shianne Prichard says she is happy they focus on feeding the children in need in our community.

She says they make big trays of shepherd’s pie, pasta and sausages.

“After all the meals have gone to Carevan, I feel happy we’ve been able to help other kids out,” she says.

The Kids Cooking and Caring Program started in Catholic College Wodonga by former Carevan chief executive Jodie Tiernan. 

It aimed to upskill students on nutrition and cooking and deepen their compassion in the community.

Ms Franklin says the program intentionally focuses on Year 9 students. 

“They’re not adults and they’re not kids; 14 to 15 can be quite a difficult phase for some teenagers,” Ms Franklin says.

“They’re going into Year 10, where they are picking subject electives.

“The program opens their eyes to cooking; unlike sport, cooking’s a neutral space, you don’t have to be very good at it to join.

“Cooking is a great team building exercise too.”

The Kids Cooking and Caring Program made 22,000 meals to feed needy or socially isolated people on the Border last year.

Ms Franklin says students are invited to visit Carevan sites at the end of each term to share a meal with those they have helped out.

“The kids are phenomenal,” she says.

“We can be so quick to judge kids – we think they’re always on their phones – but they’re doing much more volunteering than I did as a teenager.

“They’re really doing great things.”

Ms Franklin says there has been a lovely flow-on effect from the Kids Cooking and Caring Program.

“Students that participated in the program as youth are now volunteering at Carevan,” she says.

Beyond the noble work of getting kids to eat their greens, Carevan is bringing out the best in our most compassionate.