The cookery classes will focus on cheap, healthy, and diverse meals
Translated by Thomas Ansell
A new ‘Kinderkookschool’ in Heerenveen will attempt to teach children about healthy and cheap eating, reports the Omrop Fryslân. The pilot for the project will begin today with children from Groups 6,7, and 8 (the final three years of Primary education), in the De As community centre in Heerenveen, in the south-east of Friesland.
The person behind the idea is Ilse van Ast: “I already work with a number of social projects, and I heard that lots of children aren’t learning about eating healthily”, she says. “I then got into contact with Jongeren Op Gezond Gewich (JOGG), which is a Gemeente Heerenveen project. They indicated that they wanted to do more things in the area [of healthy food education], and together with JOGG we came up with the ‘Kinderkookschool’”, said Van Ast, who works day-to-day as a lawyer.
Lessons will be given by the healthy eating experts from MamaMascha in Leeuwarden. MamaMascha gives workshops in healthy eating and cooking, whilst also running a food-truck and catering business. The lessons will follow a plan made by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), says Van Ast.
“In the programme, kids are taught in a fun and light way, with no finger-wagging about why you must eat healthily, but still familiarising children with healthy food. MamaMascha have a number of recipes that the children will be trying today, too. I think that the menu includes vegetable soup, warm apple buns, and party bites. There will also be lessons about hygiene, and how to use the kitchen safely”, says Van Ast.
The cookery school isn’t just about eating healthy, but also diversely: “the Netherlands Nutrition Centre also has loads of recipes from different traditions. I think that it’s great that the kids will be able to think about different food cultures.”, added Van Ast. The school is currently in its pilot-phase, “unfortunately the pilot programme is completely full, but if it goes well then we’ll definitely have more lessons and we’ll be able to welcome more children”, says Van Ast.
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