Dear Bruce,

Your Letter from the Publisher “Cooking Is Not a Spectator Sport,” from the Summer 2014 issue, brings up a topic that is near and dear to my heart. As a nutrition educator, I strongly believe that knowing how to cook (from scratch) is the only way to be totally in control of your health. In my work at The Nutrition Center we focus on teaching this very important skill to kids and teenagers.

The Nutrition Center (TNC) will be cooking up a storm this fall in its popular Food Adventures program. Food Adventures, a collaboration between TNC and the Berkshire Co-op Market, is beginning its fifth season with a bang! The program was recently rewarded a grant from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the General Mills Foundation to bring cooking education to Pittsfield community schools, allowing elementary-aged students at Conte and Morningside the opportunity to learn basic cooking skills and learn valuable nutrition information.

At The Nutrition Center, we have discovered that teaching basic cooking skills to children and adults has a much stronger influence on their food choices and long-term health than simply sharing nutrition information. Recent studies have shown that learning basic cooking skills has the greatest impact on the long-term health of children under 8. Beyond this, we have discovered several benefits to teaching children to cook: Cooking reinforces learning. Reading comprehension, math, science and cultural studies are part of cooking, from reading the recipe to measuring accurately to observing the way food changes when exposed to heat or cold and to exploring recipes and ingredients typical of other countries. What better way to support and practice the lessons learned in school than through preparing a nourishing meal?

Cooking teaches life skills. Including children in the cooking process (planning, shopping and cleaning up too) can instill a value of responsibility. We find when a child is put in charge of a meal or a dish, he or she takes ownership over it, and steps up to the challenge. An added benefit of that ownership is an increase in willingness to try new foods. If it is their creation, they get excited about eating it and sharing it with friends and family. Another life skill that is encouraged in cooking is organization. In Food Adventures we practice “cleaning as we go” and creating a mis en place, preparing all the ingredients in the order in which they are needed for a recipe.

Cooking is empowering. Eating is at the foundation of our survival. Without nourishing food, we would not be able to accomplish basic daily tasks. When children possess basic cooking skills they begin to draw a connection between the food they are eating and how they feel. With this knowledge, they are in charge of how healthy they want to be as they get older. That is perhaps the most valuable lesson they can learn.

For more information about Food Adventures and The Nutrition Center please visit TheNutritionCenter.org. Happy cooking!

Thanks, Bruce, for keeping the people of Berkshire County focused on the really important stuff: our health, environment and community.

Morgan Kulchinsky, Certified Nutrition Educator