The Wholesome Fact About Guy Fieri We're So Happy We Learned

When it comes to notable Food Network personalities, Guy Fieri has made quite a name for himself over the years. While he's now best known for his TV show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," Fieri actually got his big break back in 2006 when he appeared on "The Next Food Network Star." Upon winning the competition, Fieri made a surprising request to the network that helped him ascend to the lofty heights of food fame: Create TV shows aimed at helping children learn how to cook.

Per an interview with Guy Fieri featured on Daily Meal, the TV star and chef's ultimate goal was to "take responsibility for what [children] eat," which he claimed can be achieved through strategies that "empower education, awareness, and responsibility." His aim is to teach young people the "fundamentals" so they can make smart choices about the foods they consume. These noble goals are a far cry from the general image of Fieri, who is usually perceived as someone obsessed with less wholesome fare like massive burgers and fried foods.

Guy Fieri was so dedicated to helping young people gain essential kitchen skills that he developed the Cooking With Kids Foundation. Through his foundation, Fieri provided direct mentorship to children and their families. He also developed a collection of videos showcasing these young chefs as they learned the basics of cooking with Fieri and other Food Network stars.

Unfortunately, it appears that the Cooking With Kids Foundation is no longer operational. The foundation's website is now defunct, and Food Network no longer features information related to Cooking With Kids on its own website. However, Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" is still going strong, as are his shows "Tournament of Champions" and "Guy's Grocery Games." In fact, the chef and restaurateur — and here's how many restaurants Guy Fieri owns, in case you were curious — recently agreed to a three-year contract with Food Network, which means there's even more programming to come.

While Guy Fieri's child-centered cooking initiatives are no longer active, the chef may be responsible for the push towards cooking shows featuring young people. In fact, Fieri was ahead of the curve with this food competition trend, as his initial pitch to Food Network took place well before the channel began creating content with kid chefs in mind.

When you take a peek back at Fieri's past, his passion for providing the basics of cooking to children makes sense. It's claimed that his first foray into the culinary realm occurred when the TV personality was just 10 years old when he operated a food cart dubbed The Awesome Pretzel. From there, Fieri traveled to Chantilly, France, and eventually opened his first restaurant in California in 1996. Ten years later, Fieri would appear on his first Food Network show, which was the start of the ongoing success the chef still experiences today. While it may be surprising that Fieri is so passionate about getting kids up to speed in the kitchen, it shows there's much more to this popular personality than just a love for diner food.