New Cooking School Aims To Educate Kids About Healthy Food In Fun Way At Little Sprout's Kitchen - Los Alamos Daily Post

Little Sprout’s Kitchen owner Kelly Parker at home in her kitchen in White Rock. The eight members of Parker’s Spice Girls cooking club made the dishes pictured here. Courtesy photo

COMMUNITY News:

When White Rock resident Kelly Parker retired after a long career as a graphic designer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, she began searching for ways to fill her time.

She volunteered in Houston during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. She traveled to Portugal and worked on a farm. And now, she’s starting a new venture right in her own home: Little Sprouts Kitchen.

Via Little Sprouts Kitchen, Parker will offer cooking classes to teach kids about nutrition and healthy food.

“I know in this busy, busy world we live in, it’s hard to get good, nutritious food into our bodies and avoid the constant push from outside influences to over indulge in sugar-loaded snacks and drinks,” Parker said. “I can help curb the desire a bit by teaching kids that eating healthy and making your own nutritious foods can actually be really fun and satisfying.”

Little Sprout’s curriculum, which includes classes such as “Have a souper day” and “Low-sugar cooking,” comes from Healthy Hands Cooking, an organization that is fighting childhood obesity by certifying and empowering instructors like Parker.

“Realizing the benefits that a healthy diet has on my energy and overall health, I would like to share that with others,” Parker said. “I believe that food is meant to be enjoyed and that fresh ingredients are key.”

In addition to offering a variety of classes for kids ages 5-13 in her home, Parker hopes to partner with area schools and businesses to reach as many children as possible.

“Children learn best when they’re busy and interested in what they’re doing,” she said. “When children are busy scrubbing, mixing, stirring, kneading, spreading, tossing, squeezing and pouring, they don’t realize there’s a secret ingredient that’s being added: learning!”

Little Sprouts Kitchen isn’t Parkers first foray into cooking. She is the “K” in Ruby K’s bagel café in Los Alamos, which she co-founded with Ruby Alexander in 2005. In 2016, she started the Spice Girls cooking club with a group of friends. The eight women meet once a month in Parker’s kitchen to make and eat a meal together. Parker also enjoys cooking with her two daughters and granddaughter.

“I love a kitchen full of laughter and activity,” Parker said. “And I’m excited to open up my kitchen in a new capacity—as Little Sprouts Kitchen—and have some fun.”

SCHEDULE:

Low-sugar cooking

Ages 5–8

3:30–5:30 p.m., Feb. 22

Make your own pizza at the Co-op

Ages 9–13

2–4 p.m., Feb. 24

Los Alamos Cooperative Market, 95 Entrada Dr.

Low-sugar cooking

Ages 9–13

3:30–5:30 p.m., Feb. 28

Healthy baking