Young generation is ‘more clued up on cooking’

Almost three-quarters of mothers are convinced that their children know more about cooking than they did at the same age.

However, a survey carried out by Netmums for Sainsbury’s Active Kids Get Cooking also found that around 1 in 10 mothers do not teach their children how to cook.

When asked why not, 14% of parents said they hate the mess, 32% have no time and 9% admitted they do not have the skills to pass on. And a health and safety conscious 13% said that cooking at home would be too dangerous for children.

The survey also found that kids dictate what the whole family eats, with 8 in 10 mothers admitting that their children are the meal maestros at dinner time. And while 80% of families find time to sit down regularly for a meal, many never eat together as a family.

Meat and two veg is revealed as the most popular home cooking choice, with 75% of parents saying it is the favourite weekly meal. This traditional option was also the top choice of their own childhoods.

Just 4.5% of parents serve chips as a weekly favourite, while a generation before, the chips-with-everything option was three times as popular. Today, pasta has replaced the fried potato, with five times more families eating it now than a generation ago.

Active Kids Get Cooking is run by Sainsbury’s and the Design and Technology Association in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation and supports healthy eating and cooking skills within schools.