Why I Enjoy Being a Common Threads Chef Instructor
Cindy Vanina, Common Threads Chef Instructor, cooks with students from Shoesmith Elementary School.
I never tire of watching the kids working away at their dishes and then seeing their smiles and amazement when tasting the meals they have just prepared. Even when the kids are not so keen on trying a vegetable they haven’t had before, they take a “no thank you bite” and sometimes the dish containing it totally disappears from their plate.
In addition to being an advocate for both Together Counts™ and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, I am also a personal chef and I teach a Common Threads Family Cooking Class, where parents and children learn to cook together. The nutritional lesson at the beginning of class is a little more involved and gives parents tips on how to shop for healthy foods, what cooking methods are healthier and how to involve their kids in preparing meals at home.
It’s rewarding to explain to families why one type of food is healthier than another, especially when they actually switch to making that meal at home. For example, it’s always good to hear about families who begin choosing brown rice instead of white because they now understand that the fiber and protein components are processed out of white rice. I love to give tips on how to make food tastier by adding dried spices or caramelizing veggies by roasting them in the oven. And I always have fun introducing the families to foods they would not try on their own like roasted Brussels sprouts and kumquats. The trick to get the kids to try the kumquats is to make it a challenge – which part of the kumquat is sweet and how is it different from a cutie?
Since the dishes and meal combinations are designed to be nutritious and the children like making and eating their creations, healthy eating can become second nature rather than feeling like a punishment. They have fun cooking, so they focus on what they are eating and the ingredients they are using. With some basic information about reading labels on packaged and canned foods they see at the grocery store, they become aware of the fiber, calories, fat, calcium, sugar and salt content. This can be the first of many steps they take to becoming self-reliant as they learn to cook healthy meals.
We teach kids a variety of international-themed recipes from our Cooking for Life Handbook, which exposes them to foods they are not likely to try on their own. They are more willing to try new foods since they’ve gone through all the steps to cook the dish themselves, instead of just refusing to try the new healthy dish their mom or dad cooked for them at home. They see all the ingredients that go into the meal and are more willing to be adventurous. It is nice to give the kids a sense of accomplishment that they can always return to.
The mission of Common Threads is to educate underserved children on the importance of nutrition and physical wellbeing, empowering them to be agents of change for healthier families, schools, and communities. By providing children with a toolkit of knowledge and skills, we can help prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers, getting America’s kids cooking for life! For more information, see www.commonthreads.org
Cindy Vanina, a personal chef, is a Common Threads Chef Instructor. While working as an investment banker by day, she went to Kendall College at night to graduate with a Culinary Certificate. Now she pursues her passion for cooking by teaching at Common Threads, cooking weekly meals for clients and catering for special occasions.
For more tips on how to get your kids cookin’ check out these articles from Together Counts: