SunLive Competition

Bay of Plenty grandparents, parents and caregivers are being called on to teach children how to cook healthy meals these school holidays.

Ministry of Health research shows two thirds of Kiwi kids are not eating the recommended three serves of vegetables a day.

Potatoes New Zealand education consultant and cookbook author, Glenda Gourley, says the best way to get children eating vegetables is to show them how to make their own tasty, vege-loaded meals.

“Potatoes are consistently voted as kids’ favourite vegetable – so start with a known favourite and over time, introduce other vegetables,” says Glenda.

Research shows it’s parents and grandparents who are the best ones to do the teaching. According to a recent survey carried out by Potatoes New Zealand, the majority of children – nearly 70 per cent – want to be taught how to cook by their parents or their grandparents, with girls preferring grandparents and boys preferring their parents.

The research also shows when it comes to potatoes, they’re much more confident – with nearly two thirds.

“Kiwi kids love potatoes,” says Glenda.

“And they can easily use them to cook up their own simple and healthy dishes, like mashed potatoes with spices or herbs, baked potatoes with corn and onion or oven baked potato wedges with salsa and salad.

“Doing this will encourage children to be interested in and enjoy
vegetables.”

Win: A $100 prize pack to give away including fresh potatoes, the award-winning Kiwi cookbook for teens and kids learning to cook ‘Who’s Cooking Tonight’, a casserole dish and gloves to make washing potatoes easier with SunLive. To enter, you must be logged in, if you are new click here to register for free!

Competition Results

Sheena Jones