Mom Spotlight: Meet Katherine Zahirovic

One of my favorite things about publishing Macaroni Kid is the chance to connect with other moms in our community. Often times these connections inspire me and remind me of the ability of one person to make a difference. It is with this in mind that Macaroni Kid Springfield launched an article series to spotlight these special women. My hope is to introduce you to some amazing moms living right in our communities who not only are doing unique and wonderful things but also deserve to have some attention brought to their mission.

I first connected with Katherine Zahirovic a few months ago as she was bringing her cooking classes for kids to Wilbraham. She's passionate about her work and extremely knowledgeable about the food industry. Please get to know this local mom a little better by reading her answers to our questions.

What is your MISSION? What do you want to accomplish?

My mission is to educate as many children as possible between the ages of 2-14 on the importance of healthy lifestyle skills, and influence them to maintain a healthy mindset for life. I want children to understand why it is important to eat healthy, what makes a food healthy vs. unhealthy, and of course how to cook their own healthy snacks, appetizers, and meals! 

24.5 million children in America are obese, and many more suffer from related illnesses, sadly, this is the first generation of children with a lower life expectancy than their parents. My goal is to help reverse this trend in Western Massachusetts. I want to educate our children to make informed food decisions that promote a healthier lifestyle. I also find cooking to be an essential skill that benefits each and every person that learns it. Home Economics, nutrition, and food education are rarely, if at all, taught in schools these days. I feel it is necessary to provide all of those skills to our children, and so I have developed Healthy Cooking With Kids to give every child access to this vital education. Healthy Cooking With Kids provides healthy cooking classes that begin with a 30 minute nutritional game, activity or lesson followed by cooking up to 4 healthy recipes.

What inspired/encouraged you to do this work? Is there one specific moment when you knew this was what you wanted to do?

My husband would come home from work and tell me how many of his coworkers with families would order food from restaurants every single night. Many of his coworkers, friends, and their significant others did not have the basic cooking skills to provide a meal for their families. After he told me that heartbreaking information, I knew I needed to do something and get involved in my community! I needed to help teach Americans, at an early age, vital cooking skills. I wanted to make a difference.  

Yes! I remember going to the beach with a friend and watching her open her cooler, and give her 3 year old a Coca-Cola soda to drink. She knew soda was considered unhealthy, but didn’t understand how corn syrup could be that bad for you since it came from a vegetable. I explained to her how scientists alter the molecules of corn, and how corn syrup is super sticky and thick, far worse than molasses. I explained that when I used to work with corn syrup in the food industry we had to keep it in large metal tanks the size of a 2-story room. The corn syrup room had to be kept at 110*F because if it wasn’t, the corn syrup would never flow through the metal pipes. It would just sit there like glue. Our bodies are only 98.6*F, so imagine what that thick, sticky, sugary substance does in our bodies. Especially the digestive system of a toddler! I knew in that moment that I had to teach children how to cook, and also provide them with necessary food education as well.

How did your life before children influence the mom you are today?

Before I had become a mom, I was at the top of my field in different food manufacturing facilities. I had graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, and had worked for almost a decade either creating new foods or ensuring that they were safe for the public to eat through lab testing for companies like Cabot Creamery, Dunkin Donuts, Mar-Lees Seafood, and others. I know how each food breaks down into specific micro and macronutrients, and how those components fuel different parts of our body. I also know each of the food ingredients used in the food industry, and how they chemically interact with each other because of my previous career. I had learned a lot in my “previous life”.

What part do your children play in your current mission? What lessons/values do you hope they are learning through this process?

I have learned a lot from my highly energetic 3 year old! She has taught me how to keep her age group focused and interested, so I am able to teach ages 2-5. Also, every time I look at her it reaffirms that I have chosen the correct career path by providing Healthy Cooking With Kids. I do this to help other children like her!

I cook with my 3 year old several times a week, whether it is making muffins, bread, pizza, or other foods. I tell her why we cook with different ingredients and tell her what’s healthy to eat and why. I hope that she continues to be excited about cooking and eating healthy. She asks for broccoli for lunch sometimes, I hope that never changes!

What can we do to support you in the community?

Enroll your child in a Healthy Cooking With Kids cooking class, and check out what we are all about! Parents are always welcome to stay and watch if they choose. Also, tell a friend and help spread the word about my mission and what I do!