“Food is national security. Food is Economy. It is employment, energy, history. Food is everything.” (Chef et al.). Children can grow and learn through food and all that it encompasses. A substantial change to the bedrock of a child’s development is made through food and the implementation of Culinary Education for children from Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth grade. The child’s likelihood of adult obesity, motor and psychosocial skills, and future eating habits are all influenced by the presence of Culinary Education. When children under the age of twelve (sixth grade) are introduced to Culinary Education (i.e. the teaching of culinary skills, nutrition, and shared dining), children experience a flux in confidence around their culinary skills, better health, a positive perspective on cooking (Lavelle et al.), eat more balanced meals and exhibit more robust social interactions (Laitinen). To support the further development of children, some form of culinary education must be implemented in public schools, from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.
From the 1940s to the present, women have been primarily associated with the kitchen. Today, more than 80% of women, 25 and older, agree that they do most of the planning and meal preparation in the family (Storz, p.1). In heteronormative relationships with children, women spend an average of 75 minutes a day in meal preparation while men spend 43 min; and in heteronormative families without children, the women spend 52 minutes and the men 22 minutes on average in meal preparation and planning (Schaffer et al. Center). In the middle, women spend more time in the kitchen than men; because of this time in the kitchen, women, especially mothers, have an essential impact on developing a child’s culinary skills. In a study by Fiona Lavelle, Lavelle determined that when a child gains culinary education from their mother, they have a better culinary skill set.
The end of World War II brought a rise in “rumors about the dangers of bottle-feeding and delinquent children without a stay-at-home mother” (Duke University); these rumours were aimed to shame the woman who was still in the workforce into returning to domesticity, so the men returning from war could go back to their jobs. In the 1940s-1960s advertisements, women were depicted as housewives, with the only objective of feeding their families and keeping the house clean. The 1957 Swanson TV Brand Dinners wrote in their turkey dinner ad, “they’ll come in handy when Dad’s “substituting” in the kitchen, when the teenagers take over the cooking- on so many busy days”. This ad puts emphasis on the Father substituting in the kitchen and insinuating that it is the mother’s prerogative to make dinners, but when it gets busy, and she can’t handle it, the Father can swoop in with something easy and fix it.
In a study conducted by BioMed Central, we see the changes in caloric intake from food calories consumed at home and calories consumed away from home. The Federal Reserve of Economic Data shows a correlating change in the percentage of women in the workforce during those times. The higher the percentage of women in the workforce, the higher the calories consumed in away-from-home foods. Between 1965 and 1966, the middle class received 92% of their calories from home and 8% of their calories in away-from-home foods, and the percentage of women in the workforce was 41.1%. In 1977-1978, 87% of calories were ingested in from-home food and 13% of calories in away-from-home food; the percentage of women in the workforce at that time was 50.6%. 1989-1991 saw that 77% of calorie intake came from foods eaten at home and 23% intake of calories from away-from-home foods; during this year, the percentage of women in the workforce was 59.8%. The study by BioMed Central shows the last rise in caloric intake in away-from-home food was between 1994-1996, with 68% of calories consumed in food-from-home and 34% of calories consumed away from home; during this time period, 59.9% of women were in the workforce. Between 2003 and 2004, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of women in the workforce, 59.6%. In turn, there was also a slight decrease in calories consumed away from home, 31%, and calories consumed at home, 66% (Lavelle). When women are away at work, it is more likely that away-from-home food will be eaten because it is seen as the woman’s job to cook the meals, and if she is not home, then food must be ordered. It became a standard stereotype that cooking was for girls and boys needed to work. This stereotype set forth the original Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) education plan, formerly Home Economics.
In 1899, Home Economics classes were introduced in schools open to girls. Home Economics began “as a way to professionalize domestic labour, giving women opportunities outside the home while simultaneously uplifting the value of “women’s work” in society” (Danovich, NPR). In 1959, 98.7% of the Home Economic student population was female, and only 1.3% of the population was male. The 1970s showed a new direction for Home Economics classes and began to aim its curriculum at both the male and female population, and by the year 1993, 16% of the student population in Home Economics classes were male. While there was a significant increase in participation between 1965 and 1993, Home Economics classes lost 287,249 people out of their enrolled population (Miller, C1). The 1993 executive director of Future Homemakers, Alan Rains Jr., believes that the “lingering stereotypes about women who stay at home” are a significant reason for such a dramatic decrease in enrollment.
Children’s food choices and eating habits develop during their childhood. This period is critical for making children more health-conscious and becoming acquainted with cooking (Laitinen 3556). The crucial period for children is when they develop their taste preferences, discover food from different sources and form habits that may remain with them as they grow up. Involving children and adolescents in cooking boosts their nutritional indicators as they grow up (Utter 2). The formation of a positive attitude towards food by engaging children in meal preparation or by turning mealtime into a family activity may be helpful for the development of a healthy relationship with eating. On the contrary, having a bad experience or association with food, such as using it as a reward or consequence, could be a starting point for unhealthy patterns and even emotional eating or aversions to some kinds of foods. The early childhood years are as critical as any window of opportunity to lay in children’s healthy eating habits and how they relate to food at an age that promotes their well-being later in life. Parents and caregivers can create positive eating habits and show kids different kinds of healthy food by feeding them these kinds of food during this period. This will serve as a foundation in which a life of healthy eating could result.
The actions involved in culinary tasks notably contribute to the children’s fine and gross motor development. There is a direct association between the kitchen occupations and the progression of the necessary motor skills (Malan n.p). Handling activities such as chopping vegetables, kneading dough, and whisking ingredients require good hand-eye coordination and dexterity, resulting in motor skill development. (Yaebin n.p). Moreover, doing tasks such as stirring, carrying ingredients, or mixing ingredients leads to an increased range of motion of the arms and body, strengthening gross motor skills. This is because the fine and gross motor skills are engaged during the cooking tasks, making them essential for learners’ thorough physical development. Not only can these motor skills learned in cooking be transferred to the classroom (handwriting), playing field (better coordination in sports), and even to everyday activities like dressing and grooming. Through integrating culinary skills into the pre-K through to the last grade of the elementary school curriculum, children learn about motor skills and the life skills of meal preparation and nutrition by doing hands-on activities.
Culinary education is also an essential tool for fostering social interactions among children. Learners build social interaction and relations as they share the same interest in school dining (Laitinen 3555). When young kids get along to measure ingredients, follow recipes, and prepare meals, they learn vital social skills such as active listening, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. In addition, communal dining brings together people from different cultural heritages and culinary traditions, thus creating a space for cultural exchange and appreciation of diverse culinary values, ultimately promoting inclusivity and understanding (Hasan 8). In addition to the social advantages, eating culture prepares children with the data and skills that help them to make healthy food choices, resulting in a more balanced diet (Schaeffer n.p). Through their involvement in cooking, children will be in a better position to comprehend the nutritional value, quantity, and importance of making meal preparations from different foods. With the introduction of all-encompassing culinary education in pre-K through 6th-grade courses, schools are able to create a friendly environment among children that motivates social development and sets them on a path of lifetime health.
Culinary skills that people learn during childhood influence their eating behaviours and nutrition when they grow up (Farmer 3). A significant correlation exists between involvement in meal preparation during the adolescent transition to young adulthood and better nutrition indicators in the future. This means that nutritional knowledge acquisition at an early age can foster good eating habits in the long run (Labbe 2). Through a mix of comprehensive kitchen classes that integrate into the pre-K through 6th-grade lessons, schools can give children the essential knowledge and skills to cook healthy meals. This initial financial commitment will be a solid foundation for people to build their knowledge and understanding of food to maintain a balanced diet (Serrano-Gonzalez 6). Honing your cooking skills from childhood teaches you practical life skills and enhances food in general. Developing these skills in childhood and adolescence can become the basis for reducing diet-related chronic diseases and promoting healthy eating lifestyles in the long run.
Lack of culinary skills leads to the tendency to rely on ready meals from fast food and takeaway places, which causes obesity and diet-related diseases ( Muzzafar 11). The key reason why people eat unhealthy food at home is that they lack the knowledge and skills to prepare food at home, so they usually turn to convenient but unhealthy options such as fast food, pre-packaged meals, and takeout. Foods of this type are high in unhealthy fats, sodium, and added sugars and usually do not contain nutrients found in freshly prepared food if consumed. In addition, portions at restaurants and fast-food businesses are usually more significant than they should be and cause people to consume more of the required calories. Due to the large amount of eating out and the inability to control the sizes of the portions, it is too easy to gain extra weight, and obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Not providing children with primary culinary education from a young age is equivalent to doom looping the problems of poor dietary habits and high risks of obesity and other related conditions in the long run (Dean 17). Incorporating fundamental nutrition knowledge into the pre-K through 6th-grade curriculum centred around food can equip children to make good food choices, prepare healthy meals, and maintain a healthy diet. The advantage of this could be minimizing the risk of obesity and chronic diseases.
While the value of culinary education in the all-round development of a child is beyond doubt, there are viable counterarguments, too. One of the common arguments is that teaching children how to cook is the prime responsibility of families and not schools (Mills 15). However, some families do not have the resources, time, or knowledge required to educate their members in cooking. Another issue is the possible student disinterest, which might result in wasted resources if only a few students enrol or go for the classes (Schmidt 7). However, teaching culinary at a young age and using it among basic subjects to make it compulsory is more effective than just picking it up as a topic of choice. In this strategy, the cooking skills can be more attractive and acknowledged by the students. Furthermore, some assert that if the youth population is incapable of cooking, they inevitably boost the economy by frequenting restaurants and ordering takeout. However, this can be deemed valid to some extent; the financial and health expenses related to diet-related diseases are more than any economic profit from these fields.
From implementing comprehensive cooking classes in the pre-K through the 6th grade, one can realize that culinary education can have long-term and wide-ranging effects on our health, social equity, and community well-being. By providing the children with fundamental cooking skills and nutrition know-how, we can equip them with the knowledge to make healthy food choices and prepare meals independently. Independence in this setting can cause a decrease in obesity because children and adults of tomorrow will not be forced so much to rely on unhealthy, ready-made foods. In-collating culinary education as a core curriculum factor also helps break down the prejudice against gender in domestic responsibilities. This approach of inclusivity enables building a society that is fair and where culinary skills are valued and appreciated by everyone. Cooking together and venerating the food creates incomparable platforms for socialization and cultural exchange among the kids as they interact with peers. Through these interactions, kids can gain strong relationships that reinforce the feeling of unity and inclusion.
Works Cited
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