Get kids cooking!
Getting the kids cooking can be a great way to get them interested in healthy food, establish good eating habits for later in life, as well as giving you a chance to educate your kids about different foods.
Good eating habits are picked up from home and can shape the way our children view food. If they see us cooking it will become the norm and they will want to join in. As our children become older they are more likely to be influenced by other factors, such as foods available at schools, friend’s houses and sporting events. By providing them a role model of healthy living in younger life you can set them up for healthy outcomes as an adult. You don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen to have an impact, just teach them what you know. Generally, once the kids have a success in the kitchen with plenty of praise from you they will want to repeat the effort. Start them cooking by encouraging them to make a few dishes they love, this may entice them to give it a go as they know they will enjoy eating it.
Toddlers
Even children as young as 2 can be a help in the kitchen, get them:
- Scrubbing and rinsing vegetables
- Measuring out ingredients
- Cutting biscuits out with the cookie cutter
- Mixing by hand
Young school aged kids
- Start by getting them to make their school lunches, great way to discuss need for food to help brain power
- Let them get their own snacks; keep all the healthy snack food at their eye level, and occasional food out of their reach.
- Work with the kids to decide the menu for the week and talk to them about what you are going to cook what night – explain to them reasons why some dinners are better some nights than others, i.e. quick and easy dinners on nights they play sports.
- Let them choose what vegetables you will serve with the dinner.
- Washing and peeling the vegetables.
- Opening up cans and bottles
- Chopping the vegetables or fruit (supervise if needed).
- Get school aged children to help read out the recipe and measure out the ingredients when baking.
- Make sure your kids help cook some main dishes too not just the baking.
Ensure you are in a relaxed mood when you try to help them cook or it may not end up being a positive experience for either of you.
Older kids
- Make a roster of a night each where they have to cook- for those who are less experienced you may need to start with one night a week where they help you prepare the food.
- Make it a family challenge with a Master Chef competition. You could do a father-daughter, mother-son competition on who can make the yummiest dinner.