Primary school children are learning how to make nutritious meals in a series of special workshops across Yorkshire.
It comes as busy schedules, fussy eaters and rising costs are making healthy eating a daily struggle for families across the region, with almost half of parents surveyed finding it easier and quicker to rely on fast food or ready meals.
The research of 500 Yorkshire-based parents of primary school-aged children, commissioned by Deli Kitchen, also revealed that nearly a third of parents are unsure what to cook when it comes to nutritious dishes, and two in five feel judged or embarrassed when they cannot provide healthy meals.
To help educate youngsters, the Curious Kids Club launched in the region during the summer holidays, giving children the chance to explore new recipes and flavours, and ease pressure on parents when school dinners temporarily disappear.
The Curious Kids Club is run by Rethink Food, a nonprofit organisation that empowers children, families, and communities by tackling food insecurity and promoting health and sustainability through education.
Nathan Atkinson, Co-Founder of Rethink Food, said: “Right now, thousands of children in the UK don’t have access to food variety, with very few getting their five-a-day into their diets. This directly impacts not only the child, but the parents too, who face a huge amount of unfair judgement daily.
“The Curious Kids Club is giving children the tools and experiences to engage with food positively, empowering families to make healthier choices, without any of the pressure.
“It’s about connecting children and building confidence, so putting fresh, healthy, nutritious food into children’s hands gives them the confidence to chop, peel, mix, mush, whatever it is, in that safe environment, working alongside their peers through the structure of a facilitator.
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‘Healthy eating is a daily struggle for families’: Primary school children in Yorkshire benefit from nutritious food classes“It’s about building that confidence – we see that some children at the start are nervous around tasting new things, trying new things, but they actually get more confident in the session.
“By the end of it, we’re seeing children that would be reluctant to eat healthy food, taking that step, eating it and enjoying that experience.”
The programme is supported by Deli Kitchen, which found more than half of parents surveyed would like more support or resources to help them cook healthy meals at home.
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Nathan Atkinson, Co-Founder of Rethink Food
Tim Wittekind, Head of Brand and Innovation at Deli Kitchen, said: “We did the research to understand the level of understanding of nutrition and healthy eating in the community.
“Thirty per cent of [parents] didn’t really know how to make nutritious food. Of that, 60 per cent said they loved cooking with their children and the excitement and the curiosity that children show around food. But they didn’t really know as parents how they could educate and do this at home.
“We know how tough it can be to feed a family well and affordably, especially when you’re dealing with fussy eaters, busy evenings or just running low on new inspiration.
“That’s why we’ve launched the Curious Kids Club in Yorkshire with the team at Rethink Food. We want to help little ones discover new foods and flavours, and ultimately make food fun again, for both kids and their parents, giving them the tools to get creative, confident and curious in the kitchen.”
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From rainbow wraps to Greek flatbreads, the little chefs at the Curious Kids Club in Upton, West Yorkshire, had fun chopping, mixing and tasting nutritious meals
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Polly, 9, said: ‘I’ve learnt to try new things and not to be scared about trying things and to just try stuff, even if I don’t like it.’
From rainbow wraps to Greek flatbreads, the little chefs at the Curious Kids Club in Upton, West Yorkshire, had fun chopping, mixing and tasting nutritious meals.
Frankie, 9, said: “We’ve learnt how to make a rainbow wrap and we made different sauces. We made wraps and it was really good – it was fun.”
Polly, 9, said: “I’ve learnt to try new things and not to be scared about trying things and to just try stuff, even if I don’t like it.”
George, 7, said: “If you don’t eat healthily, then you’re not fit, and if you do, you’re fit.”
The Curious Kids Club pilot is set to create positive change, with 10 workshops set to be delivered across primary schools and community centres across Yorkshire, giving 148 children hands-on sessions focused on food discovery.
Deli Kitchen is also donating 20,000 flatbreads, pancakes and wraps to the National School Pantry Network, to equip the Curious Kids Club and support wider communities across 100 food pantries.
To find out more about the Curious Kids Club initiative, download free resources and find future workshops taking place HERE
