Home economics has not been mandatory in Ontario curriculum for quite some time. With continually increasing youth obesity rates, the Childhood Obesity Foundation estimates that if these troublesome trends continue, 70 million children will be overweight or obese by 2025.
Sandra Venneri owns a London-based nutrition consulting company called Nutrition Bites. She aims to give children (and sometimes adults) back their cooking skills.
“Everybody thinks [cooking] is kind of like an innate skill. Its not. Its a very learned skill and we took home ec out of the curriculum in schools but nobody’s at home anymore because there is double incomes. So who’s teaching anybody to cook”
Health Canada has conducted several studies that prove a connection between cooking skills and healthy food choices for children and families.
With increased societal pressure to eat healthier, organic, whole foods this lapse in education is troublesome. It is now more important than ever for children and adults to have cooking skills.
Sandra was a student when she started Nutrition Bites, and is always looking for ways to give back to the London community. If you are looking for any professional experience in nutrition consulting, or media relations, Sandra would love to hear from you. For more information please visit nutritionbites.ca .
