Side Delights announces easy recipes and options for parents and children who want to make healthy choices, while the popularity of cooking shows for junior chefs creates a new interest in cooking for kids.
Side Delights potatoes are aiming to teach kids to choose healthy choices, while helping them learn to cook. Side Delights said it offers parents and kids easy recipes that are good for them and taste great. "Start with a family favorite such as Baked Tater Tots, Rainbow Potato Pancakes, Quick and Healthy Baked Pizza Potatoes, which only take 15 minutes to make, or Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins for the kid in everyone," the company said. Side Delights also offers quick to cook potato options through its Steamables™, Bakeables™ and Flavorables® product lines. According to the company, these microwaveable products reduce total cook time to help get dinner ready fast.
Potatoes have high levels of potassium, which Parents magazine listed as one of the “5 super foods” that kids need, and suggested potatoes as a top source of the nutrient noting that children are getting less than 60 percent of the recommended dose of potassium - in part because many of them don't have enough fruit and vegetables in their diet.
“Side Delights offer fresh, wholesome potatoes that parents and kids love. In addition to potassium, potatoes are good sources of vitamins and fiber, all of which help with digestion, the development of the body, and energy,” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “The popularity of kids cooking shows is a perfect match for potatoes.”
For parents wondering just how popular these shows are, the launch of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship and Chopped Junior resulted in the network’s highest-rated Monday and Tuesday 8 p.m. slots, respectively. Half of the viewers in the first month were new to the network, with approximately 1.5 million children aged 2 to 11 watching the show, and more than 2 million viewers aged 18 to 49 – which is seen as a sweet spot for shoppers.
This trend is more than entertainment. According to CBS, getting kids involved in the kitchen can make them more likely to choose healthy foods, citing a study by Derek Hersch. Both Hersch and Sara Haas, a spokesperson with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, emphasized the importance of getting parents involved in their children's eating habits. Hersch suggested that parents who were unable to enrol their kids in a cooking class could achieve similar benefits by having their kids help them while they prepare meals at home. He added that because children are more comfortable at home, it makes them more receptive to new foods because they will make the connection to a positive experience.
For more information:
Kathleen Triou
Fresh Solutions Network
Tel: +1 (209) 627-6800