A new study shows that kids are enjoying more time in the kitchen
A study by Barilla shows that kids have been spending more time in the kitchen learning to cook – and as we head into the school summer holidays, now is the time to get them involved!
- A survey of British parents found children are learning to cook at a younger age - children are cooking their first meal aged six, five years younger than their parents’ generation at age 11
- Primary school children on average cook 3 times a week with 15 per cent making a meal every day
- Parents reveal the top ten recipes they think kids should be able to cook by the age of 10 - including pasta marinara, margherita pizza and spaghetti bolognese
If you’re looking for an easy and cost-effective way to keep the kids entertained this summer, then it seems, according to a recent survey by Barilla, that the kitchen is the place to be.
Barilla, the world’s largest family-owned pasta company, found that 40 per cent of parents say their children’s appetite for cooking has boiled over and a fifth (19 per cent) describe it as one of their favourite ways to spend time with their children. Many also agreed that cooking has had a positive impact on children’s lives over the last year with more than a third (36 per cent) of children spending less time on their screens and more time in the kitchen.
The research also found that kids are learning to cook at a much younger age. On average, a child will cook their first meal aged just six, five years younger than their parents’ generation who began experimenting in the kitchen at age 11.
Astonishingly, 15 per cent of children under 5 have already attempted to develop their culinary skills, including 7 per cent of 4-year-olds. What’s more, on average, primary school children will get involved with cooking at home more than 3 times a week, with 15 per cent even making at least one meal a day.
To inspire parents and their children in the kitchen this Summer, Barilla has launched Kids in Cucina, an online hub that is home to a range of delicious pasta recipes created by chef Michela Chiappa and top tips from parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith.
Due to its popularity, it’s no surprise that pasta features heavily on the below list of ‘top ten dishes’ that parents believe children should be able to cook by the time they’re ten:
- Pasta marinara
- Pasta with a cheese sauce
- Cupcakes
- Pesto pasta
- Margherita pizza
- Spaghetti bolognese
- Brownies
- Cheese and baked beans with jacket potato
- Pasta, mayonnaise, tuna and sweetcorn
- Ham omelette
Barilla also uncovered some interesting stats about how cooking is influencing the children of today and how the pandemic has driven this new found enthusiasm that they expect to continue:
- 7 in 10 of parents (68 per cent) believe that cooking is a ‘great life skill’.
- Almost half of parents (49 per cent) believe that seeing the ingredients used to make meals will help their children develop healthier eating habits.
- Two-thirds of parents (64 per cent) have spent more time in the kitchen with their children because of the pandemic.
- A quarter of parents (25 per cent) think that their children will continue to be as involved in cooking once all lockdown restrictions pass.
Discussing the findings, Alberto Costella at Barilla, the Italian pasta brand, commented: “The simple act of preparing, cooking and enjoying plate of pasta with your children is a truly joyous experience, one that will bring a smile to both your faces as well as teach your children important life skills. It’s also an easy and low cost activity to keep the kids entertained this summer.
“In Italy, parents teach their children to cook with pasta from the earliest possible age and so the happiness and joy that this family experience brings is ingrained in Barilla’s heritage. We hope that our campaign inspires parents and children to cook up a storm in the kitchen!”
For delicious recipe inspiration and expert top tips, visit the Barilla Kids in Cucina online hub here.
