If you’ve ever tried to prepare healthy meals for a child with strong food likes and dislikes, you know it’s a daily challenge that can prove very stressful over the long run.
For those laboring to prepare nutritious meals that kids with allergies (nuts, gluten, etc.)—as well as autistic and other special-needs children, to whom color, texture and other factors come into play in addition to taste—meal preparation can take on seemingly epic proportions.
It’s a challenge that Mackenzie Bentley tackles with passion and relishes in her role as chef and head of child nutrition at Trinity School at Edgemere (https://trinityschoolokc.org/) in Oklahoma City. And it’s a role that she unknowingly prepared for during most of her life.
Early Journey
Mackenzie’s self-described “relationship to food” started root while a child helping her sister deal with food allergies and continued in high school with a personal health issue.
“I struggled with anorexia starting in sixth grade to my senior year in high school,” Mackenzie explained.
“This journey for me is a personal healing and redemptive story,” she added. “My little sister was diagnosed with severe food allergies, opening my world up to looking closely into food and nutrition, what is in the food we buy at the store, what is gluten, and how much is hidden in the food we eat.”
Through their shared journey, the sisters realized that, despite dietary restrictions, flavorful and nutritious food choices were available—with a little thought and creativity.
After earning a degree in public relations from the University of Oklahoma, Mackenzie spent two-and-a-half years in a war-torn region of West Africa, helping to raise funds for various infrastructure needs. Though her service ended with her spending time at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City after contracting a severe case of malaria, the experience whet her appetite for helping others.
Mackenzie’s career in food service was launched in 2006 at the Coach House (a popular fine-dining establishment located in Nichols Hills that closed in 2012), where she worked under chef Kurt Fleischfresser. After her apprenticeship there, she helped open and create the menu for Coolgreens in Nichols Hills.
She then worked as a line cook at the Komi Restaurant in Washington, D.C., which earned a Michelin star in the 2018 Michelin Guide for D.C., and at Meadowlark Farm Dinners, in Boulder, Colorado, where Mackenzie had the opportunity to help frame the farm-to-table restaurant’s vision.
Work at Trinity
In 2021, Mackenzie joined the staff at Trinity School at Edgemere, which serves special-needs children and where she is able to combine her passion for nutrition and cooking with her passion for helping others.
At Trinity, she has worked to develop menus that are mostly made from scratch and free of dyes, preservatives and fillers, and sometimes gluten-free as well.
“Integrity in the food I serve these kids is at the heart of all I do, and it’s done with great love, care and attention to detail,” Mackenzie said.
When Mackenzie first arrived, the school was serving around 12 kids for breakfast and around 45 for lunch. Today, that number has grown to approximately 32 for breakfast and 140 students for lunch.
“It has been a beautiful thing to watch this growth,” she stated.
In preparing the meals for the kindergarten through 12th-grade students, Mackenzie starts by preparing meals that include a protein, a starch, a vegetable, fruit and occasional sweet treat. Each week is structured around a themed day: Pasta Monday, Taco Tuesday, Asian Wednesday, Americano Thursday and Pizza Friday.
“I try to give each week at least one day that is gluten-free,” she said. “And since there is such a wide spectrum of students and staff to feed and, many with textural/sensory issues as well as picky eaters, I give options for the sides, such as salad, refried beans or black beans. I also like to prepare different sauces to complement the meal, such as salsa, guacamole, my special sauce and different vinaigrettes.”
She adds, “Texture is a huge deal, along with food touching, for a lot of these kids. … I put things separately on the tray and encourage the students to try small bites together because they all complement each other and have a purpose, a story, for the entirety of the meal.”
In hopes of developing in their students a passion for gardening and growing their own vegetables that will stead them in later years, Mackenzie recently coordinated a partnership between the school and Savory Spice in OKC, owned by her friends Able and Kari Blakley, with funding from a grant from Whole Foods. She also established a garden club where students can “get their hands in the dirt” while learning about growing and harvesting food.
“Mackenzie is an extraordinary individual and an even more remarkable chef,” said Lisa Schade, Trinity’s chief executive officer. “She shares her love and acceptance for our students through her culinary creations, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and explore new foods and flavors.
“Understanding that proper nutrition is vital for cognitive function, focus, and overall brain health, especially for students with learning differences, Mackenzie talks with students every day about the importance of wholesome food choices. Teaching students to care for their bodies is essential to their growth and learning and is an extension of our school's mission and culture.”
Mackenzie measures her success at Trinity, in part, by student and parent feedback.
“I’ve had parents tell me they have never been able to get their child to eat their greens, and now they are eating veggies like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. And the students are requesting certain things now, like my lemon vinaigrette, sweet and sour sauce, Polynesian sauce, hummus and tzatziki. The most humbling thing to hear is, ‘We love your food, Chef Mac.’
“With these students, my mission in what I serve is sourcing the purest, most honest ingredients possible and being mindful of the allergies kids have. The soy sauce is gluten-free, the oats for oatmeal are gluten-free, there are no dyes in what I serve.
“I am introducing these kids to fermented foods like kimchi, Greek yogurt, kefir, and sourdough, which is so good for their gut health, which is where everything begins with wholeness of body.”
Mackenzie said she also strives to offer a “varied diet that includes a variety of foods and food groups that can help improve any nutritional deficiencies, such as pasteurized eggs, grass-fed beef, apple, avocado, spinach, grapes, kiwi, strawberry, oranges, banana, purple potato, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, legumes and quinoa.
“And I keep the food clear of preservatives, artificial ingredients, monosodium glutamate and processed food,” she added. “My goal is for a balanced diet with an emphasis on lean proteins, healthy fats, and fibrous foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains).
“With so many students to serve, and with all their special needs, I aim to provide a nutrient-dense, option-driven menu to accommodate all and, in so doing, expose these students to honest food made with love.”
“Advice to parents? “Just keep introducing new spices, new vegetables, new textures, and that breakthrough will happen. … Patience is the key,” she advises.
She also suggests starting with something their child is already familiar with, like ramen, then adding new items like chicken or bone broth, miso and bok choy.
“Introduce sourdough instead of white bread, gluten-free soy sauce, rice noodles, homemade vinaigrettes, and Greek yogurt instead of mayo,” she adds.
Mackenzie loves her work at Trinity, and says the experience—"the gift these students are the relationships that have formed”—has marked her for life.
“I feel this space at Trinity is the whisper in the wind, the ground where I was to land, the calling I was created for, the echoes of my time in West Africa. It’s the full circle of my culinary journey,” she said.
“To feed these students and create a hearth of the home, family and a place at the table where all are welcome, this is my mission and my calling. And love is the first and foremost ingredient in all I do each and every day.”
About Trinity School
Trinity School is the premier institution in the OKC metro dedicated exclusively to empowering students with diverse learning needs, encompassing mild/moderate autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory and sensory processing challenges, anxiety, and developmental or intellectual delays. Its programs serve students from kindergarten to 12th grade in a traditional school environment, teaching them to thrive academically, socially and spiritually. Students receive the support they need to excel from diverse educators who deliver personalized instruction within small class settings utilizing accommodations and modifications. Students enjoy school while participating in athletics, clubs, youth groups, and leadership activities that shape their lives and help them reach their fullest potential.
“Integrity in the food I serve these kids is at the heart of all I do, and it’s done with great love, care and attention to detail."
“I feel this space at Trinity is the whisper in the wind, the ground where I was to land, the calling I was created for, the echoes of my time in West Africa. It’s the full circle of my culinary journey."