Little ones learn recipe for simple, healthy meals

Vince and Lettie joined the six-week Kinder Kitchen course run by Food Etc for children aged three to four to learn simple healthy recipes

A popular community cookery group says making meals from scratch can be "extremely tasty, really healthy and for not a lot of money".

Bedford-based not-for-profit organisation Food Etc, started with one volunteer in 2019 and now has 32. It has worked with 20 schools and currently has 15 projects on the go across Bedfordshire.

Charmain Lines, a volunteer, said cooking was "far easier" than most people thought - but it was about changing mindsets.

Vince, 38, who attended its Kinder Kitchen class in Shortstown, near Bedford with Letti, three, said: "It's nice to know you can save money and make big meals for lunch and dinner."

"I've enjoyed giving her food that we wouldn't normally give her," he added.

"I think because she was involved in the process of making everything she defiantly enjoyed it more than if we just stuck it in front of her."

Charmain Lines said volunteering for Food Etc was "rewarding, satisfying and fun"

"People tend to think cooking at home is rather complicated and time consuming, but what we're trying to do is show they can make something extremely tasty, really healthy, for not a lot of money and in little time," said Ms Lines.

"It's introducing different things and changing the mindset.

"If you roast a chicken, you have one meal, but then take the meat off the bone and you can make a pie or sandwich with the rest, and then make a soup with the bird carcass."

Ryan and his daughter Jasmine have found the course "really useful", have learnt new skills - and have enjoyed sampling the things they have made

Ryan, from Kempston, attended the free six-week cookery course with his three-year-old daughter Jasmine, so they could learn more about food and spend time together.

"It shows what you can do with not that many ingredients, you can make healthy food from scratch that doesn't take that long and it's not hard to do", he said.

Over the weeks Rosie and Harry have made fishcakes, leek and cheese scones and soup

Rosie, who lives in Shortstown with Harry, three, and seven-year-old twins Jack and Freddie, said she came along because her youngest was a "restricted fussy eater".

"It's good exposure to different foods, and making it fun and enjoyable as at home he gets upset when you try to offer him new foods," she said.

"There's a lot of steps before you eat something, so just touching it, seeing it, and watching others eat it is really good, even if he doesn't end up trying it's a good process for him to do."

India says she loves cooking with her mother Shakira and her favourite food is pasta

Shakira, 30, from Bedford, joined the group after a friend's recommendation as it "sounded great".

"We cook at home and bake a lot, so I thought it would be nice for India," she said.

She said she they had both learned new skills, it had helped with her daughter's socialising - and they now had more healthy recipes to try at home.

Emily volunteers with the group when she can and helps prepare and cook food

Emily, another volunteer for the group - which runs about seven cooking courses - said it showed families they could make "healthy alternatives".

"If we can establish those qualities and values when children are younger, it will support them when they're older and encourage some healthy eating along the way," she said.