Kids In The Kitchen Promoting Healthy Cooking Skills

CEO, founder and food- geek-in-chief Erin Fletter of Sticky Fingers Cooking takes a hands-on approach with her chefs-in-training when teaching proper knife techniques. | Photo courtesy of Sticky Fingers Cooking

Cooking with children in schools can promote the lifetime skill of healthy cooking starting at a young age. However, youths who lack healthy cooking knowledge may rely on packaged foods or prepared foods containing questionable nutritional value.

Not only do kids develop healthier eating habits, they also feel a sense of accomplishment that can boost self-esteem and help them become more self-sufficient, according to recent research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Layla Haider, age 5, learned the expression “Bon appétit! It’s time to eat!” while attending Little Kitchen Academy cooking classes. She may not fully realize it, but she learned more than a catchy phrase. Following classes, she reminds her family about proper food safety preparation, for instance, and table manners.

Layla took her first class in June 2023 when the academy—LKA for short—opened a franchise in Denver.

Hand pies are a favorite dish at Sticky Fingers Cooking. | Photo courtesy of Sticky Fingers Cooking

During each three-hour class, participants practice cooking skills while developing confidence and a sense of independence in the kitchen and beyond, says Marci Levine, LKA director. Food literacy is heavily stressed and illustrated with the help of the academy’s hydroponic garden.

LKA hosts up to 10 youths per class, which are organized according to age: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and teens. The Montessori-inspired academy focuses on “following the child,” says Levine, paying attention to their interests and needs.

Sarah Haider enrolled her daughter in classes because she wanted Layla to be around other children while enjoying one of her favorite activities. “The classes have helped her grow on a social-emotional level, pay attention to tasks for longer periods of time, and develop new flavor profiles. … I think it really boosts her confidence and self-esteem to see that she has fully prepared meals that her entire family—and sometimes guests—rave about,” she says.

Chefs-in-training at Little Kitchen Academy know the importance of a clean and tidy work station. | Photo courtesy of Little Kitchen Academy

New recipes each week emphasize seasonal and local ingredients and are adjusted for each age group. For black bean tacos, as an example, the younger group might make pico de gallo but use pre-made tortillas. 

They work on knife skills, taste different ingredients, and talk about creating a healthy meal. The 6- to 8-year-olds build on the base lesson, making guacamole and adding more spices or different peppers to the dish. The 9-12 age group takes the recipe a bit further, making the tortillas, while the teens might be challenged to find a way to shape tortillas without a rolling pin.

For teens, “we focus more on independence—being able to cook for themselves and things like budgeting,” says Levine.

Classes cost $109 each but are discounted when purchased in bulk. Camps are held during summer and holiday breaks.

Making zucchini noodles takes focus and concentration at Little Kitchen Academy. | Photo courtesy of Little Kitchen Academy

Sticky Fingers Cooking, in contrast, brings classes to the kids. The program emphasizes cooking skills, safety in the kitchen, nutrition and the value of fresh ingredients.

Classes mostly are taught as enrichment learning in schools, but also through Boys and Girls Clubs and other organizations, and in locations such as libraries or private homes. Instructors bring in all the kitchen equipment needed.

“We’re a relatively unique model,” says Kimberly Douglas, COO. “We can set up programming anywhere there are kids.”

With more than 1,000 recipes in Sticky Fingers’ repertoire, the company caters to children aged 4 to 18, with skills taught and recipes adjusted according to age.

“In the preschool class, if we are making vegetable pot pies, the kids might be into shaping the dough while middle-schoolers might be more into slicing and dicing the vegetables,” says Douglas.

Sticky Fingers Cooking was founded in 2011 by local entrepreneur/restaurateur and cookbook author Erin Fletter. Since then, more than 125,000 students in schools have experienced classes and camps. The concept was franchised in 2022.

“We’re teaching them about where their food comes from,” says Douglas, “but also about trying new foods. We work with picky eaters who are on a steady diet of chicken nuggets and hot dogs.”

In classes, students make pad Thai or calzones, and the kids decide what they are comfortable with eating, says Douglas. “When they don’t have their parents with them, they try a lot more foods than they ordinarily would.”

Staffers often hear from parents who say, “I can’t believe my kid tried … .”

Online classes and books also are available. The Sticky Fingers website includes class-tested recipes adjusted for home cooking, relevant and fun information about ingredients and culture, and a wonderful smattering of food jokes.  

Cynthia Pasquale is a Denver writer.