Free Cooking Lessons Teach Children to Enjoy Healthy Eating

By Lauren Anderson

    Studies show that children may need to experience a food up to 15 times before they like it. So, the chances of your child chowing down on the organic shrimp and grits or pistachio-crusted chicken specialties of Oprah’s former personal chef are slim. However, Art Smith completely agrees and realizes that his elaborate dishes may not appeal to younger audiences though he knows that teaching children to make smart choices is important. That’s why four afternoons a week, Smith and other volunteers teach free classes on kitchen basics to underprivileged youth in the Chicago area.
 

    The nonprofit Common Threads was started by Smith in 2003, and since then, has reached more than 1,500 kids. Those kids report eating more vegetables, cutting down on fats and sugar and cooking more meals at home after taking Smith’s class.
    In an interview with People magazine, Executive Director of Chicago Communities in Schools Jane Mentzinger says, “These kids thought healthy good was yucky. But once they learn to cook, they love it—and take the idea home.”
The First Steps in Learning to Cook
    You don’t have to be Art Smith to share the joy of cooking with your child. Put on an apron, pull a chair up to the counter and get the family involved. Children of all ages can participate. Here are a few ways they can help:

• Read recipes—ask your child to give you the step-by-step instructions.
  
• Measure ingredients—hand over the measuring cup and let them take a try. If you’re not into cleaning up spilled flour or liquids, let them measure chopped vegetables or spices as practice.
• Season to taste—everybody loves a taste test; allow your child to give his or her opinion on your latest creation.
• Make choices—include your child in decisions, ranging from what to serve for dinner to what veggies look best at the market.