Weird kitchen conversations

So someone at work the other day overheard me talking about rowing in the lunch room, then saw my lunch and remarked 'hey you look fit. What advice would you say I should give to my kids as I'm not good with getting fit?' 

I'm sorry, what?! We'll I was pretty blown away but this and simultaneously weirded out. First of all, what authority am I on raising children?! I mumbled something about teaching them how to cook, as I thought my lunch was boring. But it got me thinking. What would I want to pass on and given what I know now, what would I want to know. They're things I'm still trying to work out as an adult. It the. Got me thinking, what do I want my more talented friends to teach me, but I never ask. (Ps if you're a family member, don't take this as a criticism, as it's most certainly not!)

So here it is. The things I'm still researching and trying to figure out:

Teach them how to cook. Like actually cook. Right from the basics. What goes with what, get them involved and make them take charge. I still remember the day I googled how to cook a steak.

Teach them what to cook. And not just that, teach them why. Talk to them about carbs, fat and protein and what they do. Teach them to match this to what they do. Don't just tell them this food is healthy and this food isn't, tell them why. Sugar isn't in and of itself bad for us. But in large quantities it can have undesired effects. Fats and carbs aren't evil. 

Teach them how to train. It doesn't have to be serious, but talk to them about what they'd like to do or what they want to do better. Sit down with them and work out what they can do to improve. As they get older, research how to do this with them. I was a painfully shy kid and always wanted to play rugby union and put on muscle, but I didn't have the confidence to ask to do this. Even more recently, when my PT asks what my goals were, I sometimes don't give the full picture. Create an environment where they are happy to talk about how to improve and can be helped to become what they want to be. 

But this isn't just for parents. Talk to your friends about it. If you're a PT, talk to your clients about it. Know someone who isn't a great cook and complains? Show them how. Found a cool new exercise or way to train, share it with your friends who have a similar interest. 

What advice do you have to pass on to kids? Or friends?