by Kate Albrecht
Georgie Soskin is a Shepherd’s Bush-based chef and mother. Since completing her training at Leiths School of Food and Wine in 2006, she has taught classes to adults and children, opened her own catering company and helped open kitchens around the world.
In 2013 she also started the website Cooking Them Healthy along with her sister and a friend, one with a coeliac child and one a nutritionist. Together they have put together an incredibly useful and unique website that offers plain-English guidelines on common childhood problems along with recipes to help. Plus they provide tips for making achievable small changes to our busy lives and eating habits.
Where did you get the idea for Cooking Them Healthy?
My sister, Minnie, and I have always loved cooking, however it was when one of her daughters became ill and was diagnosed with ceoliac disease a few years ago that we began to think more about what was going in our families’ bodies. We started to change the recipes that we were familiar with (our childhood staples) and tried to put more goodness in them. It is amazing how nutritionally void some of these staples are and all it takes is a few tweaks to bring them in line with modern nutritional advice. We brought Jo on board to guide us further in the world of nutrition (she is also a keen and very good cook) and things have really grown from there.
What is your favorite part of Cooking Them Healthy?
I think the supercharged section is what I’m feeling most excited about at the moment. For the supercharged section we looked at the most common conditions and concerns in childhood and divided them into six key categories. We offer advice as well as recipes which contain ingredients to strengthen and aid your child. It is amazing the difference a few small changes can make. My son’s eczema has practically disappeared since we reduced the amount of dairy in his diet, and if it does flair up then I cook recipes that will help soothe it.
Has your cooking changed since you had children?
Yes, quite a lot actually. It is pretty exhausting looking after young children and I see my energy levels really dip when I (and they) don’t eat so well. I have made small but effective changes such as cooking with spelt or wholemeal flour—never white—and using only brown rice or bread. I generally try to experiment more with flavour and fresh ingredients and try to stay away from processed foods.
A lot of the healthy foods you encourage are on a lot of kids’ no-go list. Any advice?
I think it’s important not to dumb down kids’ food too much. I don’t know why people think children like things that are bland—they love flavour! Most kids love things like pesto pasta which is full of herbs and raw garlic—yet, if I say try cooking with those ingredients a lot of people would say I was insane.
It seems most countries expose children to a wider range of flavours and a healthier approach to food. Not many other countries dumb down children’s food at home and in restaurants—which could have bearing on the fact that our children are apparently the fussiest in Europe. Exposing children to new ingredients and eating together as a family really can create a broader palate and healthier approach to eating.
How do you get through the daily scramble to put good food on the table?
I rely a lot on my freezer for those days when I don’t have the time to cook fresh food or I suddenly have to cook an impromptu meal for friends’ kids. When I do cook I normally double the recipe to keep my freezer well stocked. I also try to cook food that can be eaten later by me and my husband (either as it is or with a couple of simple tweaks) so I don’t have to think about preparing another meal. This is always in the back of my mind when I’m writing recipes, so they normally include freezer advice and tips on how to adapt recipes for more grown-up palates.
I do find it hard to be creative with my weekly shopping basket and often stick to similar ingredients, but that doesn’t mean you have to cook the same recipe week in and week out. We have just created a new section in the website which has the top healthy easy-to-include key ingredients with some really inspiring recipes.
So, are your kids amazing eaters?
All kids have their moments but I’m pretty lucky with mine. My sister’s have been quite tricky at times so we know how frustrating and upsetting it can be. When mine play up, I work with what I know they enjoy and leave new foods for another time. I have always tried to get my children involved with cooking—letting them help me with stirring, mixing, sieving, etc.—which really gets them interested in the ingredients and excited about eating the dish. Also (and this might sound a bit weird) make sure they are actually hungry at meals. Often children snack so much between meals that they aren’t hungry at meal times.
Any pro tips for getting kids to try new foods?
Have a look at what your child likes to eat. Think about the colours, textures, and tastes and try to find similar foods (like using couscous or quinoa instead of rice) or adapt the dishes slightly (like adding spinach to your fish pie). But don’t feel pressured to have to experiment with new ingredients every meal. I still make my boys the food they enjoy but often try them with a new flavour or dish every so often. Remember to be realistic when you are getting your child to try something new. Don’t expect them to eat everything first time. Even just a mouthful will be enough to get them used to the new tastes.
For kid-friendly, healthy recipes and more, visit Cooking Them Healthy.
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