York Region Recipe Challenge

York Region Recipe Challenge – Hosted by DiabetesHaven

In a moment of economic difficulty for many families, our goal is to help financially burdened families in York Region create healthy, convenient, and affordable meals.

DiabetesHaven is hosting the York Region Recipe Challenge. The contest will take place in two parts: a virtual submission phase and an in-person taste test.

Eligibility

Everyone is welcome to compete but our challenge was built purely for the benefit the residents of York Region, so sign up and make a difference!

Contest Timeline

Phase 1: Online Recipe Submission (March 1st, 2025 – June 15th, 2025)

Participants must submit their recipe at diabeteshaven.net/contest via Google Form. Only one recipe per person is allowed. Recipes must be suitable for lunch or dinner (desserts excluded) and will be judged based on the following criteria:

Cost

Full points (10 points) if the cost is $15 or less per serving. For every dollar over $15, 1 point is deducted.

Quickness of Preparation

Full points (10 points) if the preparation time is 15 minutes or less. For every minute over 15 minutes, 0.5 points are deducted.

Healthiness

Recipes are scored on a scale from 1 to 100, and the score is added directly to the total.

Dietary Restrictions

Earn 5 extra points for each dietary restriction met from the following list:

• Lactose-free
• Gluten-free
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Kosher
• Halal
• Keto
• Diabetes-friendly
• Dairy-free
• Nut-free
• Wheat-free
• Fish and shellfish-free
• Egg-free
• Soy-free
• Pescetarian
• Paleo

Phase 2: Taste Test

The top five scoring recipes from Phase 1 will advance to Phase 2, where they will be evaluated based on taste to determine the final winner.

The top five recipes will be prepared by the Diabetes Haven team where we'll be joined by local judges to determine a winner. The judging will be recorded for all contestants to watch.

To ensure a level playing field, the use of certain equipment is not permitted during the contest, including:

• Pressure cookers
• Slow cookers
• Vacuum sealers

Prizes

• 1st Place: $100
• 2nd Place: $50
• 3rd Place: $25

The top five recipes will be featured in the York Region Recipe Challenge Guide which will be shared and disseminated with our community partners

Join us in promoting healthier food choices while competing for a chance to win!

Submit Your Recipe

Please submit your recipe with the form below

When submitting your recipe you will be prompted for:

• Your name
• Your email
• The title of your recipe
• The price per serving
• The time of preparation
• The directions (Either as a file or you can choose to copy and paste as well)
• You will be asked to include steps with the time that each will take

By submitting your recipe you agree that if chosen your name and recipe will be published in the York Region Recipe Guide. All decisions are final, there is no process to contest the decision of the judges.

Please note that the recipe must be submitted in English