Kids Can Cook

Cooking up a storm

Because a child’s food tastes develop at a young age, the encouragement of healthy choices early in life can help to create a lifelong preference for healthy foods. What’s more, there’s nothing like a bit of fun to promote learning about food and nutrition.

West Auckland’s LynnMall Shopping Centre is doing just that by encouraging kids to don their chef hats and support healthy eating, all in aid of a fabulous cause.

The Kids Can Cook campaign aims to teach Kiwi kids basic cooking skills and about healthy eating, while supporting the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD).

From 5th to 18th July, kids aged five years and over from across Auckland are invited to visit LynnMall Shopping Centre and have a go at creating a range of delicious recipes with Countdown produce, in their very own Fisher & Paykel mobile kitchen.

Entry to each cooking event costs $5, with all proceeds going to FYD’s Project K programme.

FYD is an organisation governing several youth development programmes that have been proven to make a positive difference in the lives of young people. It helps thousands of Kiwis aged five to 18 through its Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K programmes, which help children and teenagers develop confidence and skills to set them up for life.

FYD co-founder Graeme Dingle says the foundation is delighted to be working with LynnMall Shopping Centre and that the Kids Can Cook campaign will give a valuable boost to FYD programmes.

“These programmes help lift the skills, motivations and achievements of young NZers, which in turn delivers wider economic and social benefits to our country.”

LynnMall Shopping Centre manager Linh Luong says, “We are proud to be supporting a great cause like Project K and working with FYD on Kids Can Cook. The campaign is all about teaching kids the importance of healthy eating and learning to cook, while having fun at the same time.

“Health and nutrition is fundamental to a child’s development and it is knowledge in these areas that will help to look after themselves nutritionally and their family later in life.”

Nutritionist and 5+ A Day spokesperson Bronwen Anderson says it is never too early to teach children about the importance of healthy eating.

“Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that help grow healthy bodies, improve concentration and memory, enhance eyesight and build strong teeth. In the long term, children will learn new skills and improve their chances of becoming healthy adults. It is great to see programmes like Kids Can Cook supporting this and encouraging kids to make healthy choices.”

Each participant that takes part in a Kids Can Cook class will receive a bag filled with a range of goodies from Hubbards and Harraways, an apron and chefs hat, plus will go in the draw to win $500 worth of gift vouchers.

One child from each age group (five to seven years, eight to 10 years, and 11 years and over) will win this great prize, which will be drawn randomly from the pool of entries.

The more sessions a participant signs up to, the greater their chance of winning.

As part of the campaign, Lynnmall Shopping Centre will be auctioning off Fisher & Paykel kitchen appliances, with proceeds going to FYD. The auction will take place on Sunday 18th July at 2.00 p.m.

Kids can sign up to the in-centre cooking events by visiting the Kids Can Cook information station at Lynn­mall Shopping Centre on Saturday 26th June, Sunday 27th June, Saturday 3rd July, Sunday 4th July and throughout the campaign (5th to 18th July).

For more information on the LynnMall Shopping Centre Kids Can Cook campaign, visit www.lynnmall.co.nz