Chef to hold healthy eating workshop

Deep Kumar will be speaking and demonstrating cooking ideas at Rotorua Intermediate School tomorrow. Photo / File

A local chef is spreading his knowledge of healthy eating to youngsters and their families.

Deep Kumar, who is the head chef at Capizzi Pizzeria, will be speaking and demonstrating cooking ideas at Rotorua Intermediate School tomorrow, in the hope of raising an interest in healthy eating for kids and their families. "After seeing statistics on the Ministry of Health website, the obesity rates here are really high. I want to make a change," he said.

Thirty-two children and their parents are expected to attend the two-hour session, which will have a question and answer session and then an hour-long cooking demonstration, Mr Kumar said.

He plans to show at least 10 life-saving dishes made from regular ingredients, he said.

"If you have a chicken, I will show you some of the dishes you can make with chicken like chicken salad, burritos, quesadillas."

Mr Kumar wants to instil a passion for healthy cooking in young people.

"I am making food fun, and making cooking fun. I want kids, when they are hungry, to want to make a salad and not get takeaway chicken nuggets, chips, hot dogs," he said.

Mr Kumar said wise eating choices started at home.

"I want parents to take their kids to the supermarket because kids don't know where their food comes from ... I want people to stop buying processed or canned food. People ... think it is expensive to eat healthy but it is not. People need help with buying seasonal vegetables and things like that; you don't have to eat oranges all year round," he said.

Mr Kumar said he was happy to help families and schools with making healthy choices.

-If you would like to find out more, email Mr Kumar at futurediet@gmail.com.