Cassie Kelly
While some may view cooking as an individualized skill fostered in adulthood, Healthy New Albany is proving that starting food education young not only does wonders for the health and confidence of children, it can also have a positive impact on their families.
Research suggests that children who learn to cook at a young age tend to have significantly better dietary habits, consume more fruits and vegetables, are more likely to try new foods and have a greater understanding of nutrition. In other words, early cooking education arms children with the confidence and knowledge needed to thrive for the rest of their lives when it comes to food-centric areas.
Opening the door
Sharon Dunn, Nourish Program coordinator at Healthy New Albany, came up with the idea to expand the adult Nourish classes offered at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany to include children through what is now the Jr. Nourish Program.
Children can attend monthly classes where they are taught different recipes focused around a central topic such as eggs or pasta, as well as kitchen skills and safety. The classes are kept small, with about eight spots per section, to ensure each child receives individualized attention.
Cassie Kelly
“I think being able to cook and feed yourself in a healthy way and make informed, educated choices on what you put into your body is a very important life skill,” Dunn says. “I have the kids that come, they want to learn, they want to try new things, and they fully embrace it. So that’s really exciting for me to see.”
Joy Norton, the mother of regular Jr. Nourish attendee Brooke Norton, emphasizes the positive influence the classes have had on her daughter.
Now a fifth-grader at New Albany Intermediate School, Norton says Brooke first showed an interest in learning to cook at 7 years old. Looking to find her own niche like her athletic brother, Brooke’s creative interests and learning style were a perfect match with the program.
“It’s definitely developed her confidence and her own abilities, which I think is just something that all these (Heit Center) programs really foster which is amazing, especially for young women and young girls,” Norton says. “And (Brooke) is super smart, but definitely struggles in the typical school setting. So this is a way to help reinforce classroom learning, like they’re using fractions, but they’re cooking just like she just learned in math class. And she’s developing some new life skills that as a mom, you try to introduce, but it’s so nice to have the whole village being able to help out to raise your kids.”
Education in the kitchen
Two major principles of the classes include teaching kids how to
Cassie Kelly
make their favorite foods healthier and empowering them with the knowledge to make informed decisions about what they are putting into their bodies. One fan-favorite recipe in the class was kale chips, which Dunn says the kids were surprisingly excited about.
She also likes to take a childhood favorite, pasta, and spin it to be a bit more nourishing. For example, by replacing the heavy cream in Fettuccine Alfredo with cream cheese, the kids are still getting to make and eat one of their favorite foods while learning about how to make healthy choices in the process.
“Every kid pretty much loves Fettuccine Alfredo, and seeing that they can prepare it in a slightly healthier version, they always explain how much they love it,” she says.
A major focus of the classes is cooking safety and technique, Dunn says. While the adult classes tend to dive into recipes quickly due to a majority of attendees coming equipped with a lifetime of experience and basic kitchen skills, it’s essential to teach the children the basics first.
Cassie Kelly
“One of the big things, especially for baking, is properly measuring dry ingredients, like flour,” says Dunn.
According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, self-efficacy and attitudes toward healthy eating and cooking increased after kids from third to fifth-grade participated in cooking classes focused on nutrition.
Brooke is a real-life example of this finding. Her confidence and creativity, both in the kitchen and beyond, has increased greatly since beginning Jr. Nourish, Norton says. She even made dessert for the family and her neighbors using what she learned in November, and begs to sign up for every class.
“She’s got homework and friends and other obligations and priorities and wants in her life,” Norton says, “but the fact that she wants to take the time out of her busy schedule to fit in these classes, really, just speaks for itself.”
Kate Shields is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
