The COOKERY PROGRAM IN HIGH SCHOOL: WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

MARIA CARIDAD LAORENCE M. MIRANDA

The Cookery program in schools promotes the lifetime skill of healthy cooking starting at a young age for students. A Department of Education survey indicated that 87 percent of students said that they cook and make some of their meals or snacks. However, students who lack healthy cooking knowledge may rely on packaged foods or prepared foods containing questionable nutrition value.

Recent research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates that children engaged in tactile experiences, such as handling foods, have less food neophobia (food fear) and greater acceptance of eating a variety of foods.

A kitchen is a learning lab for students that can involve all of their senses. While kneading, tossing, pouring, smelling, cutting, and feeling foods they have fun and learn without being aware of it.

Students who cook at home indicate a “sense of accomplishment,” selfconfidence, and feeling of contributing to their families. They spend time cooking instead of engaged in gadgets. More importantly, children tend to skip less healthy prepared or processed snack foods as they prepare their own food more.

Recent research also indicates that nutrition knowledge may be incomplete without the experiential learning or hands-on activities associated with food preparation that involves handling food and cooking equipment.

Students learn lifetime skills through practicing basic math skills such as counting, weighing, measuring, tracking time; they also gain social skills by working together and communicating in the kitchen.

Teaching cookery to students is an opportunity to teach nutrition education such as planning meals and make smarter food choices. Cooking can help students accept of responsibility. Each child has a task to complete to contribute the meal preparation and cleanup.

Cookery programs in schools can build positive memories that promote future healthy, enjoyable cooking elsewhere. Many research studies show improved changes in cooking knowledge, food safety behaviors, and cooking self-efficacy. Other studies indicate that teaching nutrition education with food preparation in science class is more effective than in nutrition education science classes without food preparation.

Many schools now are beginning to embrace cookery programs to teach and promote healthier eating and use cooking as a venue for good nutrition and enhanced education. — oOo—

The author is Teacher I (Junior High School) at Diosdado Macapagal High School, Mexico, Pampanga