Teaching children how to cook at an early age has many benefits, not the least of which is the ability of nutrition education to assist in the battle against obesity. The Kitchen Kapers studio in Moorestown, Pennsylvania has begun putting this theory into practice.

"Though nutrition can be stealthily baked into chocolate cake in the form of a beet puree, as Jessica Seinfeld has demonstrated with her Deceptively Delicious recipes, these instructors reason that children stand a better chance of developing healthier habits when they can recognize a beet, and, better yet, learn how to roast and peel it."

Cooking classes can also teach portion control, as well as introduce young eaters to new foods. As an added benefit, instructors believe that families that cook together are more likely to develop a habit of eating together - and, in addition to reinforcing positive nutrition concepts, shared meals have also been shown to promote emotional well-being. Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Labels: cooking, healthy_eating, nutrition