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Introduction
Many people believe that schools should consider teaching cooking to kids. Cookery is a crucial life skill. Adding it to the academic curriculum helps in the overall development of both boys and girls. Nevertheless, others opine that it is a waste of school time. Moreover, the process is sometimes accompanied by the risk of cutting, burning, and general kitchen mess. I support the argument of making cooking a part of the school curriculum for various reasons.
A healthy diet is vital for a healthy body. When children and teens learn how to cook, they gather more information about the nutritional content contained in various ingredients. They start understanding what they are eating. As lives become busier, people do not have the time to cook for themselves.
They often order from restaurants or street shops, and fast food joints are popular amongst the kids. Eating junk or outside food is not healthy. However, you can prepare a healthy meal for yourself only when you possess excellent kitchen skills.
Reasons why cooking should be taught in schools
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Cooking is an essential life skill.
Students go to school to acquire the knowledge they need for leading successful independent lives after they are out of school. It prepares them for a world where they do not need to depend on others for basic survival. The millennial era does not know how to prepare food if it is not packaged in a box with instructions like heating the microwave or adding water.
Kids should not learn cooking after they have completed school. Incorporating cooking lessons in school covers the basics of cooking and gives students a chance to become talented cooks. They can prepare delicious meals for themselves, friends, and family instead of depending on restaurants, fast food joints, packaged foods, or other professionals. They can manage in different environments and situations.
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People tend to eat what they prepare.
When students learn cooking at school, they take the initiative to prepare their food at home. It is because they like to take responsibility for the food they cook and eat. The meals they consume matter to them. After preparing the meals, they are curious to taste what they have made and consume the food. Consequently, their eating habits and overall health improves.
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Practice helps to improve.
Students who learn cooking procedures and methods at school give the art a serious approach as they do with other subjects like math. It encourages them to take the skills home and practice further. If a child learns to cook at home, they do not practice as much. However, the regular home practice of the skills learned at school results in good cooks.
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Cooking helps to change the student's mindset.
Some students are fond of processed, ready-made food. As they learn cooking, their mindset changes with a deeper understanding of their eating habits. The concept of food changes. They look at every ingredient used to prepare the food rather than perceiving only the finished good. Their mindset shifts from processed foods to healthier cooked food with the habit of making various types of foods and eating them.
Schools should consider introducing and implementing cooking lessons, keeping these reasons in mind. Students should also enjoy the practice because of its benefits, particularly after they get out of school.
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FAQs
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How do you organise a successful cooking class?
Plan the class in advance. Select recipes that allow for more hands-on prep time. Include clean-up in the lesson. Focus on one or two new skills every class. Lastly, remember to have fun and make the cooking process joyful.
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Should students be taught cooking at school?
The opinion varies from one person to another. Some argue that it is an essential skill and helps students develop different life lessons. Children who learn cooking at school know more about a healthy diet and eat consciously. However, it can also be risky with all the techniques involved and requires teaching staff to take the necessary precautions.
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What healthy habits can children learn by cooking?
Cooking helps children explore their senses. When you bake, kids can hear the mixer's sound, watch the dough rise, smell the bread, and taste freshly baked bread from the oven. Children also become more responsible. From handling kitchen equipment safely and following a recipe to cleaning the spills and arranging things back in place, children get ample opportunities to learn responsibility.
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Are there any benefits of learning cooking in school?
Yes. When children learn how to cook, they learn life skills through practising basic math skills like weighing, counting, tracking time, and measuring. It involves all of their senses as they cut, smell, pour, toss, knead, and feel foods. They also learn social skills by working together and communicating with each other.
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