Celebrity Chef Harry Schwartz Announces “Fitness from the Start” National Tour Promoting Health Benefits of Watermelon and Fighting Childhood Obesity

Delicious and Nutritious New Recipes and Healthy Lifestyle Ideas Feature Watermelon for Everyday Meals for the Entire Family

Los Angeles (June 2007)—Popular TV personality and celebrity chef Harry Schwartz has teamed with theNational Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB)and Ziploc® as the 2007 Watermelon Chef and is traveling across the country June through November in a custom-built, 41-foot bus boasting a full kitchen,premiering dozens ofdelicious and nutritious new watermelon recipes, along with practical healthy eating and lifestyle tips for the entire family. Click here to view the Bus Stop Schedule at ChefHarry.com.

Chef Harry will also be introducingchildren to his “Fitness from the Start” program, based on his upcoming book and PBS series, to help combat childhood obesity. As an overweight youth himself, Harry was teased by the other kids and developed lowself-esteem. He lost 100 pounds—twice—andlearned how to take the tears, toil and turmoil out of cooking. Today, Harry is in great shape and great health. He knows what it takes to solve the national epidemic of childhood obesity, and shows parents what they can do to help.

Watermelon has long been a family favorite at summer barbecues, and Chef Harry’s new recipes prove that the versatile melon—that is actually both a fruit and a vegetable—is not just for picnics anymore. With important health benefits, watermelon is a good-for-the-body ingredient for any time of the day, all year long. Featuring simple, time-saving preparations, Chef Harry’s nutritious and delicious recipes range from breakfast to dessert: Watermelon and Pineapple Skewers, Shrimp and Watermelon Watercress Salad, Watermelon Pad Thai, and Watermelon Oat Crumble. Chef Harry has also created fun recipes especially for kids, with most so easy they can help: Watermelon Rubik’s Cube, Watermelon Cupcakes and Watermelon Pizza Supreme.

“Watermelon is an ideal health food because it does not contain any fat or cholesterol,” explains Chef Harry. “It’s delicious and you can eat as much of it as you’d like.” With 92 percent water, watermelon is a natural hydrator and nutrient dense food containing vitamins A, B6 and C, as well as fiber and potassium. Watermelon is the leader among fresh fruits and vegetables as a source of the health-promoting antioxidant lycopene, which gives the color to red varieties of watermelon. Watermelon also contains the medically important amino acids citrulline and arginine, which help maintain cardiovascular health.

Chef Harry will also demonstrate proper food storage techniques to help keep foods fresher longer, along with simple ways to transport and organize meals and snacks with an array of solutions from Ziploc® brand bags and containers, a leader in food storage innovation.

A celebrated author, spokesperson, syndicated columnist and host of PBS’s popular “Chef Harry & Friends,” he became a regular on NBC’s “Today Show” in 1995 and has since appeared in over 3000 segments and shows for more than 10 networks and cable channels, including appearances on E! Television, Extra, Lifetime, Shop at Home, Food TV and HGTV. Chef Harry and his wife, Laurie, are currently developing a new PBS series with WTTW in Chicago based on his next book, “Fitness from the Start.”

To find out where the Watermelon Bus is heading, visit www.chefharry.com and click ON TOUR.