Nonna and Ruby's Italian Cookbook for Children

Nonna and Ruby's Italian Cookbook for Children

Getting children to pass up sugary and fatty foods for a healthier option has been a challenge for many parents and can lead to unavoidable chaos at mealtime. Well it's time to move over in the kitchen and hand your children an apron!

With the ever increasing threat of childhood obesity becoming a national epidemic in Australia, parents are seeking interesting and interactive ways to help their children make healthier food choices.

A recent study in the US has shown that children who participate in preparing the family meal are 10% more likely to choose to eat vegetables.

Another study found that kids are eating more fast food, both at home and away from home, which are higher in calories thus linking this eating trend to an increase in childhood obesity.

A great way to introduce nutritious eating habits to your children and helping them to build a healthy relationship with food is by getting them involved in the kitchen. With the plethora of cooking shows on television these days, it is time to get children into the kitchen and giving it a go themselves.

Monica Kubizniak, Accredited Practicing Dietitian, works closely with parents and their children and says, 'Working with parents and children is very rewarding, especially when I see the research come alive in the homes of my clients. Children who are involved in shopping and cooking tend to eat more varied foods, enjoy more fruits and vegetables and are proud of their contribution to the making of the meal. In general, families who prepare home cooked meals have diets lower in saturated fat and salt which is important in preventing childhood obesity."

'Recent research has also added asthma and eczema to the picture - children who have three or more take-away meals per week are more likely to suffer from these conditions. The recommendation is to start your children with age appropriate tasks in the kitchen from as young as possible and have fun together", adds Monica.

Beyond kids learning about food in the kitchen, cooking also helps them develop other essential skills such as reading, mathematics, problem solving, sequential and conceptual thinking, patience, and effective communication. It gives them a sense of responsibility and they are more likely to eat what they have helped prepare.

Home-cook and author, Domenica (Mim) Patane, is an advocate for teaching kids to appreciate food and to get back to basics with cooking.

-One of my earliest memories of being a small child back in my home town of Sicily, Italy, was sitting on the kitchen table helping my mother cook. This is where my love for food and cooking began'.

-We didn't have fancy appliances or exotic ingredients, we cooked peasant food, basic yet delicious, and this is what we need to teach our children'.

Princess Salsa (with Gnocchi)

Ingredients
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of chopped garlic
¼ cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper

Method
Fry the garlic in the oil do not burn. Add all the other ingredients and simmer on low heat for half an hour and then toss through the gnocchi! (Recipe for homemade gnocchi available in the cookbook.)


Domenica (Mim) Patane lives on the Central Coast of NSW, with her husband Frank, and conducts kids cooking classes during the school holidays. Mim has been associated with food her entire life. She ran a very successful cake decorating business for many years in country Queensland and held an award-winning food and bakery stall at the Townsville markets for 15 years, before starting cooking classes for adults and children.

-I believe in simple nutritious recipes that kids enjoy cooking. My philosophy with children's cooking is that it's not about perfection and precision but more about having fun and the pleasure of eating food the children have made themselves.'

Her self-published cookbook, Nonna and Ruby's Italian Cookbook for Children, released in June 2012, is a colourful, easy-to-follow compilation of delicious, traditional recipes, like Vegetarian Pasticci, Potato Pizza and Alphabet Biscotti. There are no appliances in sight and each recipe requires only a handful of ingredients readily available at your supermarket or local grocer.


Nonna and Ruby's Italian Cookbook for Children
Bean Stalk Books
Author: Domenica (Mim) Patane
RRP: $12.95

www.beanstalkbooks.com.au