Mom Teaches Kids About Healthy Cooking

The Capital:

Melissa Owens is a fast-talking, high-energy mom on a mission – and she’s constantly cooking up new ideas.

The Annapolis resident runs Deliciously Nutritious, which offers classes and summer camps aimed at teaching children about healthy eating. Kids don’t just sit by and watch Owens work through recipes, either. They get hands-on experience, making their own snacks and lunches during her summer camps, for example.

“The more you involve them, the more they’ll try things,” the mother of two explained. “Everybody wants to cut something or chop and dice and slice.”

A case in point is 11-year-old Maggie Mohr of Odenton.

Maggie, who has taken three classes with Owens, never used to like broccoli. But after Owens showed her how to make a rice dish that featured the vegetable, she now enjoys it. “I make it the way she made it,” Maggie said.

All this isn’t to say Owens is just about veggies and fruits. She does try to dissuade children from fast foods, but mainly preaches moderation and healthy ways to tweak dishes like macaroni and cheese or nachos. Her nachos, for example, use blue corn tortillas, low-fat cheese and unsalted refried beans.

Photo by jugglerpm

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