In this inspiring and heartwarming special, we shine the Parenthoot Spotlight on Sonam Samat, founder of Flavour Lab, a pioneering initiative bringing food literacy and cooking education into schools and families. In this conversation, Sonam shares why she believes “children will eat the food if they make it themselves,” how cooking can nurture healthier habits, and why food education deserves the same dignity as math or science.

From rainbow wraps and smoothie bowls to food label sleuthing with magnifying glasses, Sonam brings learning alive with hands-on creativity. Along the way, she tackles topics that matter deeply to parents: picky eaters, gender equity in the kitchen, sustainable food choices, parenting hacks, and how involving kids in food preparation creates lasting impact.

Whether you’re a parent looking for practical ideas, an educator curious about food literacy, or someone who just loves hearing about change-makers raising the next generation of mindful eaters, this episode is packed with warmth, wisdom, and wit.

Why You Should Listen:

• Learn how kids eat better when they cook and how this simple truth can transform mealtime struggles.
• Discover fun, practical ways to teach children about nutrition—from decoding food labels to “eating the rainbow.”
• Hear how Flavour Lab is reimagining food literacy for schools, making it as essential as any academic subject.
• Gain parenting wisdom—from Sonam’s bedtime story hack to turning kitchen disasters into smoothies!
• Get inspired by Sonam’s vision of a world where food education is universal, accessible, and joyful.

Quotable Quotes:

• "I say I'm on day zero of a 30-year journey. And I think it's a good quality to have where every time someone asks you what impact have you seen, you always remember what impact lies ahead of you."
• "A lot of times when you ask kids these days, where does food come from? They say, well, it comes from the phone because you're ordering it and then it gets delivered. No, food grows in the soil."
• "Cooking has for the longest time been a woman’s job… I love that our daughter sees my husband cooking more than me. He’s actually a better cook, even if I’m the one that went to culinary school."
• "If you have a very dense cake and you blend it up with milk, it is a very indulgent, creamy smoothie… not so good as a cake, but really yummy as a smoothie."

About the Guest:

Sonam Samat is the founder of Flavour Lab, a movement to integrate food literacy and hands-on cooking into schools across India. A culinary school graduate, entrepreneur, and passionate parent, Sonam believes food is not just about recipes but about connection, values, and change. Her workshops blend creativity, science, sustainability, and fun—whether kids are building rainbow wraps, investigating ingredient labels, or learning about where food really comes from.

At home, Sonam tests recipes with her daughter and neighbours, advocates for gender equity in the kitchen, and champions bedtime storytelling as a parenting ritual. She describes her work as “day zero of a 30-year journey”—raising children and raising change.

Resources & References:

• Flavor Lab – Learn more about Sonam’s initiative bringing food literacy into schools: https://www.instagram.com/flavour_lab.in
• The Whole Truth Foods – Workshops on food label reading: https://thewholetruthfoods.com

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