Introducing children to the food they eat is crucial to nurturing their relationship with healthy food as recent research undertaken by Ben’s Beginners indicates that in children under seven years:- 30% could not identify a red pepper
- 85% cannot correctly name a leek
- Nine out of ten children can identify broccoli but only 58% can correctly identify courgettes
- Only a third of children surveyed knew what chips are made from
- One in three could identify what animal ham was made from
These findings came from the Ben’s Beginners programme, which seeks to encourage Irish mums and dads to get cooking with their children. With rugby legend and father, Ronan O’Gara at the helm, Ben’s Beginners believes that when parents and children cook together, it leads to a better relationship with food, healthy meal preparation and also with each other.
To help families get started, the programme kicks off with a cooking contest to inspire families to create a child-friendly rice recipe and upload it to the Uncle Ben’s Facebook page. Everyone who enters is in with the opportunity to win a €5,000 cash prize for them and their family, plus a €10,000 donation for their school to fund a healthy initiative.
Happy to be part of this great initiative, Ronan O’Gara says: “Good nutrition played a crucially important role in my training schedule in my sporting career. Now as parent, I place huge importance in cooking healthy meals for my kids. I don’t have the skill or inspiration of a professional chef, but I do have recipes in my back pocket that I know my family love.”
The dad-of-five continued: ”Like all parents, finding time is hard but getting the kids to cook with me, not only helps get a good meal on the table but is also good fun to do together. I’d encourage all parents to take the Ben’s Beginners challenge and see where one meal made together can lead you and your family.”
Ronan is working with TV chef Phelim Byrne, who has created a number of recipes to get families cooking. Each one is posted on the Uncle Ben’s Facebook page along with details of the competition.
