We asked Jessi Bruns, consultant Dietitian with Kids Dig Food to tell us a little about why she loves delivering workshops for Kids Dig Food…
“There are so many reasons why I love delivering Kids Dig Food workshops” says Jessi.
They are so much fun!
I always have a great time visiting Outside School Hours Care and early childhood settings and getting stuck into cooking with a room full of kids. It’s great working with kids because they are vibrant, never ashamed to say silly things and they are always enthusiastic. I see this come across when it comes to cooking. Many kids have never cooked before, let alone spread butter on a piece of bread! I have not yet seen a child who has very little kitchen experience hesitate to try something new. They always are willing to try slicing, chopping, or stirring something and ever ready to learn when we give them tips on how to do things more easily or show them a new skill in the kitchen.
I love that our focus is on exploring and learning at their own pace
Our Golden Rule is: “You don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to.”
When I first started working with Kids Dig Food, a little part of me doubted that this little rule would make such a big difference. It’s amazing to see what happens when you take the pressure off a child to taste or eat something that they don’t want to. Magic happens when we take the stress and anxiety out “trying”. It amplifies their curiosity, and they often want to explore the foods even more. Even kids who have never seen a spicy radish in their life will touch, smell, look at and listen to it with enthusiasm, and I’ve been so surprised to see almost every single child taste it, and many of them eat it.
We know children who are exposed more frequently to fruits and vegetables in early life and who have a chance to develop basic cooking skills early on are more likely to lead healthier lives as adults. That makes me feel very grateful to be a small part of their journey towards a healthy, happy life.
Supporting educators
Our workshops give educators a chance to step back a bit and observe their students’ interactions with food. I also have noticed many educators really enjoy the sessions themselves, and always mention that they’ve learnt something new that day. I continue to learn so much from them because they are all so experienced working with big groups of kids!
Eat happy!
Jessi Bruns
Accredited Practising Dietitian
