Clued Up Children Telling Their Parents How To Eat Healthily – And Trying Foods Adults Won’t

There’s been a huge amount of concern about child obesity rates in the last few years – and how much sugar children are consuming.

But despite worrying stats, leading cookery author Annabel Karmel reckons there’s a new breed of food savvy kids who are leaving adults lagging behind in the healthy eating stakes.

Cooking is now firmly on the school curriculum and participation in cooking clubs are at a record high, with children sharpening their culinary skills, exploring local farms and tapping up local suppliers for lessons in foods, says Annabel.

Because of this, some 51 per cent of parents are being taught how to eat well by their children.

A fifth of parents are even being lectured by their offspring for serving up foods at home that are unhealthy according to the nationwide study conducted by Annabel’s company.  And a whopping 95 per cent of the 2,253 parents polled believe they could learn something positive from their children’s food encounters outside of the home.

“From discovering the sugar content in a can of Coke to a lesson in growing spuds, parents are picking up more than just the kids on the school run – they’re gaining a food education,” says Annabel.

Some 94 per cent of children are more likely to eat new foods if they have interacted and cooked with them, the research also suggests. In fact, 34 per cent of parents claim that their children have tried foods that they wouldn’t, including fish, olives, black pudding and even blue cheese.

“The prospect of a new generation of kids leading the good food charge is really encouraging, but there isn’t a ‘best before’ date on learning how to cook,” says Annabel.

“Whilst starting young equips children with the knowledge and skill to make good food choices as they grow-up, it’s never too late to learn good habits - even if it means taking a tip or two from your pint-sized master chef.”

In a drive to inspire every generation to explore new foods, Annabel has cooked-up a new Family Cooking app. From lunchboxes to light snacks, everyday essentials to prep ahead, it’s packed with more than 120 easy recipes. It also includes an interactive kids cooking course where children make a recipe virtually then go on to cook it in the real world.

Is your child willing to try more foods than you? Let us know in the comments.

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