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Cooking classes 'a boost to healthy diet'
Classes included information on budgeting, nutrition and cooking simple meals
Short cooking classes can have a long-term impact on healthy eating, a study suggests.
Questioning of parents who took part in government-funded courses in Scotland showed they ate more fruit and vegetables and fewer ready meals a year later.
Participants were also more confident about following a simple recipe.
The University of Glasgow researchers said refresher courses would boost the effects further.
There are numerous locally-funded programmes to improve cooking and nutrition skills around the UK but, until now, there has been little data on any long-term effects.
The study looked at courses lasting between four and eight weeks for parents of pre-school children.
Classes included information on budgeting, nutrition and cooking simple meals.
Questionnaires filled in immediately after the courses showed an immediate boost in participants' confidence in cooking, preparing and trying new foods, researchers reported in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
But the researchers were more interested in whether these effects remained months down the line.
Cooking confidenceA year later, 44 of 100 cookery class attendees agreed to be interviewed again and researchers found there was still a significant increase in their confidence in following simple recipes and using basic ingredients.
“Start Quote
End Quote Professor Alan Maryon-DavisBudgets are being cut and local authorities are not going to fund stuff unless its been shown to be effective. But this is pretty encouraging”
They also found that participants were eating fewer ready meals than before the courses, and were eating portions of fruit and vegetables daily compared with just a few times a week before.
Some of the "confidence scores" in cooking and trying new foods had slipped after a year and the researchers said refresher courses would be useful.
Study leader Dr Ada Garcia said that, although the study numbers were small due to difficulties in re-contacting people after a year, the results showed that such programmes had a measurable effect on people's diets.
"It is very encouraging that we have these positive results," she said.
"This suggests that the intervention has benefited participants' eating habits and health not only in the short-term, but also in the long-term," she added.
Prof Alan Maryon-Davis, former president of the Faculty of Public Health, said more research, including a controlled trial, should be the next step.
"Budgets are being cut and local authorities are not going to fund stuff unless its been shown to be effective. But this is pretty encouraging."
He added: "It is particularly important to get these changes happening in young families."
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Comment number 32.
Megan17th February 2013 - 15:32
Just as long as what is taught is sensible. My daughter learned to bake really well at school, but never got to make a basic main course!
Let's hope there are sufficient teachers who can cook to explain it to the children.
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Comment number 4.
Ohdrat17th February 2013 - 11:28
We HAVE to get more people confident they can feed themselves and their families on a budget without resorting to unhealthy fast / convenience food. For the health of the nation, sustainable food production and for the life of our high streets.
Butchers can provide good cheap cuts but it all falls down when people do not know what to do with said meat.
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Comment number 1.
Little_Old_Me17th February 2013 - 10:49
Cooking is something we used to learn from our parents, but as each generation went by standards slipped a bit each time.
Someone has to teach kids to cook & if their parents don't know because no one taught them then why not provide classes to learn.
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