Claudia Sparks found a good trick early on to encourage her son Lucas to eat his vegetables.
Let him prepare them himself.
Lucas, a 12-year-old student at St. Patrick’s School, enjoys his veggies — except cauliflower (even when bribed with cheese sauce). But as a youngster he became interested in cooking, and his mother believes preparing food set him up for enjoying his vegetables.
“Lucas went through a phase when he was about five where he really wanted to be a chef,” Sparks said. “Then he wanted his own restaurant.”
“He’s past that now, but he still enjoys cooking. And I think when he prepares it himself and cooks it himself, he enjoys it more.”
Lucas was one of nine youngsters, age seven to 12, who got a chance Thursday to help kick off the Island Health program Eat Well Get Moving, and learn some cooking tips from a professional chef.
Eat Well, Get Moving is a program that teaches kids about good food by introducing them to healthy ingredients, and then gives them the opportunity to make them into tasty dishes.
In particular, it is designed to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Studies have shown fruits and veggies are being neglected in modern diets.
Jodi Holland, Island Health community dietitian, said teaching food skills early, even simple things like chopping fresh carrots for a snack, can lead to a better understanding of the importance of fruits and vegetable in a balanced diet.
“And we know eating fruits and vegetables is connected with improved health,” Holland said.
She said the most recent research shows about 50 per cent of Canadian children are not receiving the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. And more than 30 per cent are considered overweight or obese.
Eat Well Get Moving is an effort to get the word out to kids about a healthy, active lifestyle, and about eating well by involving schools or other youth groups.
Holland said these messages can be reinforced beyond the usual physical education and health classes. Science classes can be a chance to learn about the biology of eating and fuelling the body. Math class can use measuring cups as models for solving problems.
Professional chef Andrew Paumier, on hand for the Eat Well Get Moving kick off, said his experience has shown him when kids are made a part of the food preparation process, they are much more likely to choose the healthier options.
On Thursday, he introduced the youngsters to what he calls Morning Glory Bars using bran cereal, yogurt and carrots. Later, he taught them to make pizzas using bagels sliced in half as a crust covered with healthy toppings and baked.
“Expose them to good food and once they’ve had a chance to get their hands on it and prepare it themselves, they will eat things that five minutes ago they told you they would never touch,” Paumier said.
Food lessons can even be found in a family’s regular routine: Grocery shopping, a trip to the farmers market, or growing vegetables in the backyard, he said.
“Involve the whole family because it is not a solo mission,” Paumier said.
As well, basic kitchen and cooking skills, even something as obvious as proper knife handling and maintaining cleanliness, will stay with a person for life, he said.
Eat Well, Get Moving is a community partnership between recreation centres in Greater Victoria and Island Health. It runs until April 30. Students at participating schools can win prizes, tours of Thrifty Foods stores and a variety of passes to activity centres and sports events.
Interested schools or parents can go to fitinfitness.ca.