How do you convince kids to eat cauliflower over KFC? Teach them to cook!
HOW DO YOU change behavior? How do you persuade kids to see the benefits of curried chicken with cauliflower over Cheetos and KFC?
HOW DO YOU change behavior? How do you persuade kids to see the benefits of curried chicken with cauliflower over Cheetos and KFC?
My Daughter's Kitchen cooking classes teach kids to cook healthy dinners, providing a primer on the basics of chopping and sautéing while exposing them to new fresh foods along the way.
This spring, volunteers in 31 classes around the region have had a good measure of success: In my class at Prince Hall Elementary in West Oak Lane, for instance, Alia Miles, 11, made turkey sloppy joes for her family, and Samir Norris, 9, made banana Dutch baby pancakes. And several kids in other classes did the same, mostly with those two recipes - they were so good the kids were motivated to prepare them at home.
But each class is a new journey. And though Alia loved the quick pickled cucumbers we made with the sloppy joes, she was turning her nose up at the cauliflower in last week's recipe for curried chicken with cauliflower, apricots, and olives.
"This stuff stinks!" Alia said, though it didn't dampen her enthusiasm for cutting it up. Jalea Johnson, 10, was happy to cut the olives in half but announced she didn't like them and would not be eating them.
The girls measured the olive oil, curry, cinnamon, cayenne, paprika, and vinegar for the chicken marinade, but couldn't understand why cinnamon would go with chicken. "It's a Mediterranean dish - savory and sweet," I said. "The same idea as sweet-and-sour chicken."
While the apricots were being sliced, I explained that these were apricots that had been dried to preserve them. It prompted Samir to recall a history lesson: "Lewis and Clark ate dried fruit on the Oregon Trail," he said.
"Terrific connection!" I said. "Why do you think they ate dried fruit on the trail?"
"Because they didn't have wet fruit?" said Jordan.
"Well, yes," I said. "Fresh fruit wouldn't keep on such a long trip."
The chopped olives, apricots, and cauliflower were spread on a sheet pan, and after the chicken had marinated for 15 minutes, it was placed on top and popped into the oven.
Somehow, despite our finicky oven, we managed to get the chicken cooked.
"That looks delicious," Jordan said as we took the chicken out of the oven.
Alia tried one bite of the cauliflower, made a face, and that was it. Jalea was not interested in even trying.
"Sometimes it's not only about eating what tastes good, but what is good for your body and your brain," I said. "I know you want to play in the WNBA, Jalea, and for you to perform at your best, you have to give your body the best foods."
Samir and Jordan needed no persuading: "I'm just stuffing my face right now," said Samir. Both went back for seconds, and Samir took the leftovers home.
It's not always easy to predict what will appeal. Several of the other classes loved the curried chicken so much they chose it as the meal to prepare for their families next week at the final party.
And it was such a hit with the kids at Wissahickon Charter School, Awbury Campus, that the students called me from the class: "We love the curried chicken," they sang in chorus when I answered the phone at my desk earlier in the week.
"We had to call you, they loved it so much," said volunteer Lisa Krader.
Ahdia Young, a Wissahickon student, told me she asked for more vegetables and then caught herself: "I have never said that sentence before in my life," she said.
What a revelatory moment for her: learning she really liked something she didn't think she would.
So that is how you change behavior, one curried chicken with cauliflower recipe at a time.
215-854-5744