Annie Streitmarter

Founder/Director

 
Annie founded New Leaf Kitchen to spread the value of mindful nutrition and sustainable living. After completing K-12 in Cincinnati, Annie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Her experience at a play therapy practice in Tucson helped pave the way for her creative approaches to healing and learning.

Turning her focus to children, she moved to Chicago to study infant mental health and work as a preschool teacher. She helped launch and operate a kids cooking studio, where her love for cooking, sustainability, and educating youth flourished.   

Living for a few years in Colorado, before making her way back to CIncinnati, Annie spent over five years working closely with children with disabilities, and coordinating resources for families 

with less opportunities. 

During this time, she realized the enormous void in nutrition education, the need for more equitable food preparation programs, and the lack of fresh-food accessibility. She also became increasingly aware of the negative impact food can have on a person's well-being. She saw first-hand that many of the foods we are feeding our children are hindering their ability to thrive. Annie, disturbed that many people were not making the connection between the food we eat, and the way we feel, was prompted to take action. She felt that instead of temporary 'bandages' widely used to treat dis-eases of the body, she would focus more on the origin, the root of the problem - by providing a program with more long-term and 

sustainable impact. 

Finding these meaningful solutions became Annie's goal and foundation for New Leaf Kitchen. She wanted to create something that would be accessible for everyone, spark passions for healthy eating, and encourage children (with skills and knowledge) to take control of their own health. 

Annie developed a 'root-up' approach to food education that nourishes both minds and bodies.   Her programs focus on teaching our youth how to source, grow, prepare, and consume foods that will positively impact their health, environment,

 and economy.

Met with local and national support, 

New Leaf Kitchen now has a passionate team of teachers and volunteers on a mission to offer this hands-on, ’root-up’ program to everyone.  

As an educator and life-long student, mother, passionate foodie, mindful vegetarian, home cook, probiotic promoter, and urban farmer, Annie operates New Leaf Kitchen proudly everyday with a vision of healthy and more sustainable communities for all.