Why parents should get cooking with children to promote healthy eating

Busy lives have been blamed for this shift away from basic culinary education but according to experts it is imperative we get it back - for the sake of our health and the planet.

Launched in 2007, Love Food Hate Waste aim to raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste and help us tackle the problem through practical things which won't just benefit the environment, but will help our pockets too.

Learning how to cook is imperative yet, according to new research by Love Food Hate Waste and Mumsnet, although more than 90 per cent of parents rate cooking skills as an important part of their general education, more than 60 per cent of parents (with children over the age of three) spend three hours or less a month cooking with their child.

"It definitely needs to get back on track because people have lost that skill, not everybody," says Soraya Overend, project manager of Jamie's Ministry of Food in Bradford.

Running courses for people to learn the basics, or for those who want to improve or expand their skills, Soraya and her team see a range of abilities.

"We see it everyday. Some people have brilliant skills and want to learn new skills and new recipes and some people don't know what vegetables are, they've never seen or tasted them before or decided they didn't like them at an early age and not really been introduced to them," explains Soraya.

She believes education and nurturing is the way forward and she says parents, and schools, have an integral part to play.

Recalling her own schooldays, she says computers were installed where cooking classes were once held. "Everybody has a computer now but they have lost the skill of cooking," says Soraya.

While Soraya recalls being taught how to cook a meal on a budget while she was at school, she appreciates many youngsters may not get that opportunity.

"I think as well it is down to busy lives. Parents may have three or four children to feed who are coming in at different times because they've got different activities and I also think the cultural aspect of social housing has changed. Kitchens are not as big, galley kitchens make way for another bedroom. The element of sitting down together and eating a meal, passing that on to children, a lot of that has been taken.

"It all comes back down to education. How can people educate their children if they haven't been educated themselves?" she asks.

Healthy eating is certainly on the menu - and the curriculum - at Bolling Park Primary in Bradford.

Deputy head, Matthew Langley, explains for the last six years the school has run a restaurant project for 90 Year six children teaching healthy eating and basic cooking skills too.

"Healthy eating and understanding where food comes from has been an important part of our key stage one curriculum. The school has new plans for the spring and summer terms - an extensive outdoor growing area will enable all the children to grow and enjoy their own produce - all linked to the new science curriculum.

"In addition our learning mentors run very popular cookery clubs for children in which they learn how to cook a simple meal which they then sit down and enjoy together.

"All of this is underpinned by an excellent school cook and her team."

Emma Marsh, Head of Love Food Hate Waste says: “Cooking skills are a key life skill for all of us. But most of us lack the time to build these up, leading to a lack of confidence in the kitchen. Our range of tools and guidance on lovefoodhatewaste.com now enhanced by our new Save More initiative are designed to increase everyone’s skills, knowledge and confidence and enable these to be passed onto the next generation."

For more information about the Love Food Hate Waste kitchen skills pack and also the New Year campaign launching free cookery classes in 10 UK cities to help people get to grips with the culinary basics become creative in the kitchen visit lovefoodhatewaste.com

To find out more about the culinary courses on offer at Jamie's Ministry of Food, the Oastler Shopping Centre, Bradford, contact (01274) 435279 or visit jamieoliver.com.

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