Five reasons why youth should cook

South Auckland youths are donning their chef hats and cooking up traditional Maori food crops at Mangere Mountain.

Promoting cooking skills among students, Nestle Cook for Life - Ka Tuna Ka Ora, has partnered with Mangere Mountain Education Centre (MMEC) to deliver an interactive daylong workshop.

A part of MMEC’s existing programme, students learn to cook healthy, affordable meals that use traditional Maori vegetables which are grown in its communal gardens.

Students are also educated on how the crops - derived from the original plants that their Maori ancestors used hundreds of years ago - can be integrated into their lives today.

To promote a healthy lifestyle, Nestle New Zealand CEO Veronique Cremades shares five reasons why students should learn to cook:

1. By cooking meals from scratch, we know what ingredients go into a meal, we can increase vegetables and whole grains and we can limit ingredients like fats, salt and sugar.

2. It provides students handson learning with maths, science and creativity all being used whilst preparing a balanced meal.

3. Home meals are cheaper than takeaways and usually far more nutritious.

4. It builds their confidence, enables them to be in control of their diet, and it empowers them to better themselves and their extended families as they become positive influencers in their homes and in the community.

5. Preparing and sharing meals together is an important part of our cultural and social wellbeing.

In 2016, the workshop was piloted with Mangere College and saw 25 students participate.

Mangere College principal Tom Webb says there is a real need for today’s children to understand healthy eating and learn how to apply that, in an easy and affordable way.

‘‘Unfortunately children find it easier to grab takeaways because they lack the skills and confidence to prepare a meal in the kitchen. This workshop links the cultural heritage of Maori harvesting while building their confidence through education and guided practice,’’ he says.

MMEC is calling out schools in South Auckland to express their interest in the workshops. Email visitorcare@mmet.co.nz or contact (09) 634 7305.