You are what you eat!
Reena Kurien
Children and good food do not generally go hand in hand. Mothers’ woes often are that their children eat too little or that there is too much junk food around. Meal times can pose problems in so many different ways.
As a mother and a teacher, I believe in the importance of making a child understand why eating nutritious food is necessary. This can be achieved with the least amount of effort.chong qi cheng bao
Let me share with you some of my experiences as a school teacher. Home science is an optional subject in the ICSE curriculum. The practical work revolves around the method of preparation of various items that go to make up a meal. Emphasis is given to planning a balanced diet based on the principles of nutrition. Age, food habits, variety in foods, colour, texture, flavour, availability, and method of cooking are some of the factors considered while planning. Preparation and presentation are equally important to ensure that the food is well accepted. Once the students have the basic idea of meal planning, various scenarios are given to them, such as a menu for grandparents, a menu suitable for a picnic lunch, a menu modified to include unexpected visitors, and a menu for a birthday party, to mention a few.
The author is a teacher at Vidyaranya High School, Hyderabad, where she has been teaching since 1981. She can be reached at kurienreena@rediffmail.com.