106: Kids, Cooking, and Sustainability with Jenny Chandler

Many parents fight a losing battle to get more fruits and vegetables into their kids’ diets, but there are simple ways to give kids more empowerment and control. Teaching them to enjoy cooking and eat more sustainably gives them more flexibility and a chance to explore. Join us as we dive into practical ways to get your kids involved in preparing and enjoying healthier meals.  

Jenny Chandler is a cooking instructor and cookbook author who lives in Bristol, England. Her latest cookbook, Green Kids Cook, encourages kids to cook and eat food that’s good for their bodies and good for the planet. The book is aimed at ages 7-14 but is suitable for people of all ages with its recipes, crafts, how-tos, tips for reducing food waste, and so much more. On today’s show, Jenny and I share some of her plant-forward recipes from the book, including Green Pea and Coconut Soup, Seeded Oat Bread, and we’ll wrap up with dessert. Of course, we’ll share tips for getting kids to cook, appreciate, love, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Jenny has been on the show before to talk about pulses like lentils, beans, and chickpeas and to talk about one of her other cookbooks, Great Food for Kids. Her goal is to help you, your children, and grandchildren get more plants on the plate. 

Show Highlights:

• Get to know Jenny’s life with her teenage daughter, a husband who makes wildlife films, and city life in Bristol that’s only a short walk to the countryside
• Why Jenny is passionate about writing and teaching people to eat more healthily and sustainably for regard for animal welfare
• What it means to eat sustainably
• Jenny’s mission: to teach, inspire, and engage kids in cooking skills, so they become more adventurous eaters, especially with fruits and vegetables
• How Jenny incorporated “theme nights” with her husband and daughter on Fridays during the COVID lockdown
• How Green Kids Cook teaches kids to have fun in the kitchen, explore more fruits and vegetables, and learn more about where foods come from
• How the book covers snacks and desserts but focuses on skills for cooking simple meals
• Jenny’s recipe for Green Pea and Coconut Soup, made with sauteed green onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro, frozen peas, and vegetable stock; after pureeing the mixture, add coconut milk and lime juice. (Good served cold or hot--and it’s ready in 15 minutes!)
• How to balance plant-forward meals for those who love meat
• Jenny’s tips for reducing food waste at home:
• • Have a “use me now” shelf in the fridge.