A different story about a fabulous teacher
From Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution’s site.
My son’s third grade teacher gets kids learning using all sorts of ways.
I just organize the country tastings this school year and had done it before, but this is completely the teacher’s idea. She’s a fabulous person and caring teacher.
You will often find, “Cook with them” or “Let them help in the kitchen” high up on the list of suggestions on how to get kids to eat healthier foods. I agree.
I do sometimes see parents or even teachers letting the kids help when it comes to making cookies or baking a cake, but it’s not as often that I notice them help make a healthier meal or a salad. I do think it’s good to get them involved in helping prepare many different foods so they learn more about them and may be more interested in eating that food they had a hand in. I’m not saying my kids help me on a daily basis but they do love to help and do it often enough that they feel involved and interested. They do seem more enthusiastic about the meal and even more eager to try it because they’re proud of their contribution. I also may go further than some would ever consider at my sons’ ages; like letting them use knives. 
They need to learn; so who better to teach them and what safer place than at home? It took a while for my husband to let my eldest son use a chef’s knife, but even he relaxed a bit and realized we needed to show him how to handle it properly and to position his fingers that hold whatever he’s cutting. Now they all help. My eldest isn’t very coordinated but he’s doing a fine job and loves to feel empowered with the trust we’ve given him. 
Since he was 8 years old he was confident enough to fix himself sandwiches and other quick meals when he is hungry. We even gave my youngest a steak knife at the dinner table since he was 4. I feel it’s safer to give a sharp knife than a dull one. Again, as long as they’re supervised and shown the proper way to handle the knives, they should be fine and it should be good for their confidence.
Recently in my son’s kindergarten class my husband and I were showing the kids how to use knives so they could help make “Stone Soup”. One parent seemed shocked that I let my children use knives (under supervision). She said she’d never get hers to do that or help much besides baking. Granted she has triplets so it’s trickier and they’re all young. I suggested she might try working one at a time as a special Mommy and son time that they’d all get their turn at her attention and learn… but I’m not a mom of triplets, so I really don’t have a right to say/judge. (It’s a family trait— giving unsolicted advice.)
So, get them involved in food preparation, even teach them how to use knives— they’ll be better off for it all! And before you know it, they might create a great meal for you! And you might be surprised in the foods they’re more likely to eat when they have a hand in the preparation. 
One thing I love about my son’s 3rd grade teacher is how she has introduced the pupils in her class to many foods they normally would never try. Each month they learn about a country that the parents help select then come in and share stories, photos, music and culture. At the end of the month they have a tasting day. I volunteered to coordinate the parents to bring in a food/drink from that country. It introduced me to some new foods (Malagasy Stew) and prompted me to attempt to cook something I’d always enjoyed but never made myself (falafel).
But the best part is that each student must try a taste of everything and the teacher helps for instance, by saying while holding the pickled herring, “I don’t like fish but I too am trying it.” They go through each item (some countries have more volunteer dishes than others —for instance Italy many and Madagascar only a few) one by one and describe what they think it tastes like— strong, salty, sweet, spicy, etc. The kids love this day and I love watching some really picky eaters sometimes get surprised by liking foods they never would have touched with a ten foot pole. It is a wonderful way of introducing new foods to the children.
I try to make sure there is a savory dish, a dessert and something the country is well known for the kids to try. So I often put in a little too much time that day or night before getting prepared for it. I want the kids to really experience something that people in that country would eat. Luckily there are so many great parents of other students in the class who are willing to help and it’s never all left up to me to do.
This past month was Israel and I didn’t know where to start, whereas this month is New Zealand and I don’t know where to end! I decided that morning of the Israel tasting to make falafel— for the first time and my last minute decision didn’t pay off. (Used a recipe by Mark Bittman) The chickpeas weren’t soft enough so I used canned but they were too soft and the little patties fell apart. But the flavors were wonderful and so many of the kids liked them. I’ll work on getting the technique down (or planning better). 
For now, it’s on to New Zealand and thinking what I should make… green lipped mussels or cervena or Pavlova or lamb or… something new for the kids to try.
