Parks and Recreation has perfect recipe for cooking class

Tammy Roberts of the University of Missouri Extension Office supervises children in the "Kids and Cooking" program at the Franklin P. Norman City/ County Community Center.

In a crowded kitchen at the Franklin P. Norman City/County Community Center, eight children ranging in age from 6 to 10 are learning the fundamentals of cooking.

Now, most people would view this as a recipe for disaster -- children with knives, working at a gas range -- but not instructor, Tammy Roberts of the University of Missouri Extension Office and her assistant, Amy Thornton, an employee of the Parks and Recreation Department.

The students are participating in "Cooking Matters for Kids," a six-week program that connects health and nutrition and hands-on experience in the kitchen. The class is a collaborative effort between the Parks and Recreation Department and Missouri University Exten-sion, according to a news release about the program.

Good cooks know preparing a meal also entails cleaning up afterward.

While many learn basic skills from their parents, it is important that children learn how to prepare nutritious, healthy meals for themselves.

"In today's culture where fast food is a staple, we need to get information to kids and the younger the better," said Dana Redburn, parks and recreation director for the city of Nevada. "The more times we repeat the importance of nutrition, the more likely youth are going to continue using this information as they get older."

Making nutritional choices is becoming harder and harder as people are cooking less and relying on the convenience of fast foods, Redburn said. Cooking is becoming a dying art as people who are out on their own lack the cooking skills their grandparents took for granted.

In the rooms next to the kitchen, children learn to read labels and understand why the information is important in making healthy choices. The class also stresses the importance of being active. The children learn techniques such as chopping, pureeing, baking, sautéing and stir frying. The class emphasizes healthy cooking techniques while adding flavors with spices. "We want to dispel the myth of 'if it tastes good, it must not be good for you,'" Redburn said.

The number of students in the class has proven its success and Redburn said it will become a regular offering at the community center.