Grandmother and famous New Zealand cooking icon Alison Holst says today, fewer children are learning to cook.
“Something as simple as a potato baked in the oven or microwave and topped or stuffed with beans or cream style corn, and maybe a little cheese, is a meal in itself. I think it is so important for children to learn to cook, especially over the school holidays.
“A baked potato, with all the goodness it contains, is an excellent place to start. I encourage all grandparents to share their cooking knowledge and teach their grandchildren to bake potatoes,” she says. Grandparents are in a unique position to pass on lifelong skills because if their grandchild can bake a potato, they can make a meal. By teaching children to cook a baked potato, grandparents can give their grandchildren a wonderful skill that will last a lifetime.
Potatoes New Zealand food and education consultant Glenda Gourley, says that winter especially is a perfect time for grandparents to teach grandchildren these important skills. “With the school holidays on and perhaps grandparents having the kids visit, children will be looking for something to do; passing on the skill of baking a potato is a perfect activity,” says Glenda.
“For children, a full tummy is only one potato away. Potatoes contain fibre, vitamins and minerals – and they give them energy without fat. Your grandchild will love the taste of potatoes, especially ones they’ve cooked themselves,” she says. Children can get 50 percent of their daily vitamin C requirement from just one potato and potatoes also have the Heart Foundation Tick, as long as they’re cooked in a healthy way.
So, calling all grandparents! Potatoes New Zealand and cooking icon Alison Holst are calling all grandparents together for a special mission: to teach their mokopuna to bake potatoes.
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