“Some of my fondest memories were in my father’s restaurant kitchen in Mississippi. I remember being seven years old, standing on cans to reach the countertops, cutting two hundred pounds of onions in one weekend! It was great.” Leathers maintains that getting kids involved in cooking will give them much-needed skills for life. “It really makes me shake my head when I see kids who don’t know how to cook. I mean, eighteen- to twenty-two-year-olds are living on ramen noodles! There’s no need for that.”
So what makes children so prone to obesity? Sorry, but it ain’t genetics. “Genetics plays a part in a minimum of cases. It’s lifestyle choices—bad eating habits, too much screen time on the TV or computer, and not being involved in their food.” The responsibility lies first with parents, but second with schools. “Fifty-four million kids go to school every day. Seventy-five percent of them eat at least one meal there. We have them for at least one meal a day—and that can make a difference too. Kids that eat better, focus better, and behave better.” But uninterrupted family eating time is vital. And not in front of the telly! Studies show that kids eat more when distracted by the boob tube. “As Americans we have forgotten how to cook and eat together. We’re a convenient nation now.”
Parents, teachers, heck, even baby-sitters can all get with the program. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the cooking classes currently in existence. In addition, Chefs for Humanity offers training programs for adults, so you can go out into your own neighborhoods and make a difference. So get cooking, and help our kids be healthy, happy humans. It’s a lot more fun than unwrapping a soggy old burger!
Photo of Chef Cat Cora courtesy of Chefs for Humanity
