Children are fast taking to cooking

Pasta and sauce is the favourite dish for under-16s to prepare.

London: A survey has shown that children are taking to the stove and cooking their first meal five-years earlier than their parents’ generation did.

The Lloyds TSB Home Insurance poll of 2,000 parents found that on average, children of 7 years of age are showing more interest in cooking, thanks to celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. But the research also showed a downside, as one in seven meals cooked by children ends in some form of disaster, the Daily Mail reported. Of those, smashed plates and crockery are the most frequent mishaps, reported by 41 percent of parents, while just under a third say the food is inedible. Research showed pasta and sauce was the favourite dish for under-16s to prepare, popular with 37 percent, with cake, pizza, chips and fish fingers following close behind. A fifth of parents said it was TV cooking shows that were inspiring their children to head for the kitchen. ANI