Use Your Culinary Career to Connect Kids and Food
May 14, 2007
by Kate Robb
Culinary Institutes Columnist
It's no secret that the sun is setting on the ritual of family dinners. While this presents a cultural loss on a number of levels, one of the worst is that today's children feel no connection to the food they eat. Culinary school graduates are perfectly poised to help recreate this connection, and groups like Spoons Across America are making it as easy as pie.
Parents, Kids, and Culinary Arts
Spoons Across America is a non-profit organization that brings culinary experts, teachers, parents, and children together to celebrate food. Their mission is to "influence the eating habits of children through hands-on education that celebrates the connection to local farmers and the important tradition of sharing meals around the family table."
The Support of the Culinary World
On of the reasons Spoons Across America is successful is that they are supported by a board of directors and a list of sponsors that would put a glimmer in any chef's eye: The James Beard Foundation, The American Institute of Wine and Food, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Foundation, just to name a few.
The Beauty of a Family Meal
One of the many projects SAA supports is the Dinner Party Project, in which groups of middle schoolers take part in the entire process of creating a dinner party for their parents. Through this project the children learn about "nutrition, food safety, meal planning, table setting, etiquette, and cooking."
There are many ways you can share your passion for the culinary arts, and one of the simplest might be teaching a kids to love real food.
Sources:
Spoons Across America
About the Author
Kate Robb is a freelance writer and university professor.
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