Culinary class in elementary school?
Nowadays, it is much more common to hear that many elementary
schools are offering culinary classes as an extracurricular after-school
activity. This is a great way to teach students at a young age about the
importance of healthy eating habits. Consequently, our future
generations can live longer and healthier lives!
A PDF version of the “Kids in the kitchen,” approved by Health Canada,
provides lesson plans and fun recipes in which students can create
during their after-school activity. As the article mentions, throughout
the cooking process, students are capable of using their mathematical,
creative and language skills. The following link will provide 21 lesson
plans proposed by Health Canada, and recipes in which students will enjoy to create:
http://www.wrha.mb.ca/healthinfo/prohealth/nutrition/files/Nutrition_2.pdf
In addition to this type of extracurricular activity, the website, http://cookingwithkids.net/, provides
suggestions on how cooking classes can introduce to students different types of food. For example, in the video
that is on the website, the students learned how to make "green" pasta by mixing spinach into the pasta
dough. This website also explains how school lunch meals can positively correlate to their community and
educational experience. By providing culinary classes as an extracurricular activity, students learn about
healthy eating habits, and appreciate the diversity that they are surrounded with.