Cook It Up!: The Delicious Power of Teenagers in the Kitchen
Posted: March 8, 2011
Categories: Food in the News / Good Food Ideas for Kids
I’m a big fan of teenagers, and thought it would be a nice idea to start this blogging project off with some great stories about teens in the kitchen. Teenagers are incredibly capable and will burst with potential when given the right opportunity. The folks at the London Community Resource Centre know this, and their Cook It Up! program, aimed at “improving the present and future lives of youth ages 13 to 18” helps young people build some really important life skills, one meal at a time.
The LCRC’s vision is of “a community with resources that enable people to work together to improve their quality of life.” Cook It Up! is just one of many such LCRC programs that give community members the opportunity to get engaged with good food and each other.
I have always believed that food programming focused on teenagers is essential, as the relationship young people have with food in their teens will inform the way they engage with food as adults. This is particularly important for teenage girls, who have to handle more external influences on their relationship with food and their bodies than teenage boys do (generally speaking). I’ve led a number of community kitchen sessions specifically with teenage girls, with the hope that the comfort and intimacy of the kitchen would encourage some deeper conversation about their lives. Sure enough, by the time we were eating, we had discussed nutrition, body image, drugs, sex and living up to their parents’ expectations. Teenage boys have shown a similar enthusiasm for time in the kitchen, and I have seen many young men feel confidence and pride, and have the chance to let their creativity shine in the kitchen in a way that wasn’t happening in the rest of their lives. Basically, if you want to set young people on a positive track for their adult lives, one of the things they need is good, healthy food skills. I really appreciate the discussion of food skills as assets with value. The LCRC believes that “acquiring personal and social assets such as mastery, independence, generosity, and a sense of belonging helps youth to become fully functioning adults,” and I wholeheartedly agree.
What’s even better is that Cook It Up! participants get more than just time in the kitchen and a meal. These young people learn about sustainable agriculture and local eating, as well as the political and social issues that underpin our current industrial food system. By teaching these teens about food, they’re learning about the way the world works, and I don’t think there’s any better way than that to grow up.
The cherries on top of this brilliant food program is that the Cook It Up! sessions are led by local chefs, which is music to this chef/activist’s ears! I have been a huge advocate for chefs as champions of good food, and love the idea that chefs are starting to play more integral roles in community food programming.
I am so encouraged by programs like Cook It Up!, because they’re a signal that more people are getting access to good food, and that local communities are creating ways to collectively nurture themselves and their health. The joy and pleasure of good food is amplified when shared with others, and the energetic creativity of teenagers can make kitchens and farms exciting and dynamic places. Three cheers to the LCRC for their delicious contribution to Ontario’s sustainable food scene!