Darina Allen: Every child should be taught how to cook

One of the easiest ways to wean children off fast food was to teach them how to cook, Ma Allen said. File photo: iStock

Chef Darina Allen is calling for cooking lessons to be included on the school curriculum saying it is a life skill that everyone should learn.

Ms Allen, who has recently launched a cook book, How to Cook, said earlier this week: "When you teach someone how to cook, you give them a gift that will forever enhance their lives, it becomes increasingly evident that our food choices affect our energy, vitality, ability to concentrate, and both our mental and physical health."

Since the 1950s, she said, academic skills have overtaken others as the main aim of learning which has subliminally relegated practical skills such as cooking or growing to lower value skills.

This morning, the chef told Newstalk Breakfast that she is submitting a petition to Minister for Education Norma Foley for practical cooking classes for every child.

She said: “At the moment I feel we're really failing in our duty of care in many ways to the next generation. 

"So many people, even nowadays, almost two generations have left our homes and our schools without being able to cook for themselves - without the basic skills to feed themselves properly” and this has had an impact on health.

“This is sort of a call to arms - and so many mothers, parents, grandparents and everybody really, really agree with this. 

It's not just younger people but many nowadays who are in highly successful careers – the CEOs of companies, all sorts of things - have all the skills to run the country, etc., but actually some of them can scarcely make toast.

During the pandemic people suddenly realised how “de-skilled” they had allowed themselves to become, she said. The ability to cook was part of a rounded education. 

Ms Allen added: “Everything stems from the fuel we put in the tank to keep the system going.” 

One of the easiest ways to wean children off fast food was to teach them how to cook, she said. If children were taught a few basic skills, they could build on this.