This is an article I read earlier this year from the New York Times and Chef Tom Colicchio. I felt that it was relevant now, as kids are going back to school. Next week, I will be writing again about what our students are eating at school and how we can help to infuse more healthy food options.
The Man Himself -- Tom Colicchio
Chef Tom Colicchio is known in the culinary world for his Craft restaurants, but many people recognize him as the head judge on the popular cooking show “Top Chef.”
This weekend, Mr. Colicchio’s focus will shift to children, family food battles and the challenges parents face in trying to improve the quality of food their children will eat. We’ll be talking about how to raise a healthy eater as part of a panel at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. The panel also includes television personality Rachael Ray; cookbook author and parent Jessica Seinfeld; South Beach diet founder Dr. Arthur Agatston; and Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor and author of the popular book “Mindless Eating.”
Recently I spoke with Mr. Colicchio, who has a teenage son, about the challenges parents face when it comes to feeding their kids.
Does having a father who is a chef make a difference in your son’s eating habits?
I don’t think having a father as a chef makes you any more or less susceptible to eating unhealthy food. If he’s out with his friends he’s going to do what his friends are doing. He’s like most kids. He’s not a chicken finger kid, and we’re not big fast food eaters. But it’s still a struggle to get him to eat healthy food. He’d rather grab a Sprite. But he enjoys good food. His idea of a great meal is seafood.
What do you think is the most important thing you’ve done to shape his eating habits?
We’re eating healthier food at home, so he’s eating what we’re eating. For us the challenge is he likes soda and he likes sweets, so we have to limit that. I think the patterns are set very early when the kids are young. But at the same time, there are some flavors kids just don’t like. For him, he’ll eat peas, but he doesn’t like broccoli. Green was always an issue. For a while he wouldn’t eat anything with chopped parsley. He still doesn’t eat raw tomatoes, it’s the gook inside. I had the same issue when I was a kid. But there are also things he loves that he probably wouldn’t if he hadn’t been exposed to them. For instance, he loves caviar.
Do you talk to him about healthy eating?
Giving him a choice between something that is unhealthy and something healthy, that’s not the choice. It’s between good and bad, well prepared and poorly prepared. He used to complain that the school cafeteria food was so bad he wouldn’t eat it. He used to like boxed mac and cheese, but once he got the real stuff, he said he didn’t want the boxed stuff anymore.
Does it surprise you how popular your show is with kids?
I travel around and hear from so many kids. Their parents say they were always very picky but they watch the show and they want to try stuff. The show is entertainment, but I think it has done so much for the public perception of what food can be.
Should restaurants be doing more to promote healthful eating?
What chefs can do when it comes to getting the word out is have people understand food differently. If food is well sourced and well prepared, I don’t think the word healthy needs to be brought into it. It’s healthy because it’s wholesome. That’s what we should focus on. You can buy a box of low-fat macaroni and cheese made with powdered nonsense. I’m not worried if I’m using four different cheeses and it’s high in fat. It’s real food. That’s what’s more important.
What do you say to parents who work all day and rely on packaged foods for convenience?
I want to feed my kid something that is real and not processed. It’s hard to do. People are working and busy. The question is: Is it worth it? Is it worth stopping at the farm stand or supermarket to buy fresh ingredients? Even just choosing whether to buy a head of lettuce. Do you buy fresh or the prewashed lettuce in a bag with the nutrients leached out of it? That’s what’s more important to me.
But isn’t cooking something from scratch going to be a lot easier for you than most people?
I think some people think that just because you’re a chef, you’re eating gourmet meals every night. It’s not the case. It’s just not practical. For me, though, I do think it’s probably much easier to just go to a farmers’ market and just put something together. I don’t have to look for a recipe.
Question
Can you give me an example of a quick recipe you might make at home?
I can go out and buy clams and some shallots and garlic, chop it up, put some wine in it, olive oil. Let the clams steam open, add chopped up tomatoes and mustard greens and toss with pasta. That is going to take me 20 minutes. It’s a great simple pasta dish. It is that easy. Anybody can do it if they want to do it. It just takes practice.
