Kids Culinaire 2016: A Food Festival Where Kids Learn to Make Healthy Choices

_{Picture Courtesy: Facebook/Kids Culinaire}You take your kids to a supermarket and you'll mostly find them hovering around all that is sugary or salty and sealed in bright, beautiful boxes. For mothers, trying to get their kids to eat well can be a bit of a challenge. So, how do we get them to like healthy foods? The answer is simple. If your children learn to make better choices early in life, it sticks with them well into adulthood. That's exactly the message Kids Culinaire, India's first food festival for children, is trying to get across."The idea of organizing a food festival just for kids was born out of a need to revive the days when malls, mobile games, internet devices didn't exist and families enjoyed quality time together, picnics and the outdoors," say Founders Ratika van Noord Bhatnagar and Rohini Mathur.The festival has been planned keeping parents and the little ones in mind and is full of fun workshops, exciting activities and contests that promote the theme of making better food choices. "We do not say -don't eat fast food or don't eat cookies, we focus on creating a balance and getting children to interact with food in a fun way so they are able to make healthier choices. Through this festival, we also hope to raise awareness about some relevant concerns around food today such as lifestyle diseases, food allergies, hygiene and recycling," share Ratika and Rohini.The first edition of the festival which was organized last year saw many families coming together. It gave parents a chance to bond with their children and at the same time taught them a thing or two about healthy living.  Back in action, this year Kids Culinaire has introduced many activities that will keep your kids entertained over the weekend. What's on their agenda? Demonstrations and cooking competitions by Chef Saransh Goila, Food Blogger Smita Srivasta and Chef Amrita Raichand, food tours and interactive story sessions. "It was such joy to see so many kids cook together and create new dishes last year at Kids Culinaire. This year I'm expecting kids to cook more technique based food. The idea is for them to learn about Indian culture and food through a fun chocolate golgappa recipe. I believe just like maths physics and English every kid should know basics of cooking," says Chef Saransh.A great way to help the kids create a healthy relationship with food is by teaching them about what they eat, where it comes from and how it affects them and the environment.  Keeping this in mind, workshops on creating compost from kitchen waste and growing your own vegetable garden will be held. At Kids Culinaire, educate your kids about cleaning eating and spend a fun day with them.Where: PSOI gardens, Nehru Park, ChanakyapuriWhen: 20th and 21st FebruaryTimings: 11am and 8pmTickets: Rs. 200 for 3 to 12 years and Rs. 300 for over 12 years