Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Encourage kids to pick up a spatula this summer

Swimming lessons, T-ball, soccer ... and cooking?

This summer, parents may have to look no further than their own kitchens to find fun, rewarding activities for their kids. According to the 2004 Betty Crocker Kitchens’ “How America Cooks” study of 1,000 kids nationwide ages 10 to 17, cooking could be a great way to bolster their self-esteem.

The nationwide study revealed nearly 90 percent of kids feel proud when they have cooked something, and 70 percent would be willing to do some of the cooking if it would help their families eat together more often.

“Kids and their parents can reap not only great meals but emotional benefits from cooking,” said Dr. Martha Farrell Erickson, senior fellow of the University of Minnesota’s Children, Youth and Family Consortium. “By involving kids in the household’s cooking, parents are not only spending valuable time with them and instilling a necessary skill set, but fostering an important ingredient to their child’s future success and happiness: pride.”

In terms of learning how to cook, nearly 80 percent of kids surveyed said their mother has been teaching them how to cook, while 29 percent say their father has been teaching them. When it comes to more formalized training, 30 percent of kids have had, or are currently taking a cooking class in school. Only 20 percent of kids surveyed have learned about cooking through scouting programs, 4-H or similar groups. Just 3 percent of kids have taken a class or are currently taking a class from a cooking school, and only 7 percent of kids say they don’t know how to cook at all. Overall, the majority of kids (82 percent) would like to learn more about how to cook.

Where there is a great desire in kids to learn more about cooking, there also is a significant opportunity. While more than 80 percent of kids think cooking is fun, kids are clearly more comfortable with technology than with pots and pans. Ninety-four percent of kids aged 10 to 17 can access the Internet, but only 45 percent can make a baked potato, and only 42 percent of kids can cook a spaghetti dinner. Additionally, more than half the kids surveyed can program a VCR to record something from television (54 percent) and download music from the Internet (51 percent), as compared to the 41 percent who can make a fruit smoothie in a blender. And when asked how many teaspoons were in a tablespoon, less than half of all kids surveyed cited the correct answer of “three.”

“The Betty Crocker Kitchens’ ‘How America Cooks’ survey showed that cooking and eating dinner together as a family is important to kids,” said Maggie Gilbert, manager of the Betty Crocker Kitchens. “The Betty Crocker Kitchens are committed to ‘make everyday homemade’ easy to do for families across the country, and this includes America’s next generation of cooks. With a few simple tips and recipes it’s easy to get kids started in the kitchen and the family around the dinner table more often.”