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We know that children who help prepare meals with their families eat better, but most importantly they hold dear memories of time spent with their families in the kitchen...I know because I hold dear many, many memories!
Cooking with your children encourages healthy eating! If hummus, brussel sprouts, artichokes and mangos are as common in your kitchen as ketchup, cookies, ice cream, carrots, and apples are, kids won't think twice about trying them.
Children who help their parents in the kitchen will be more adventurous in their food choices! In addition, parents who spent quality time with their children develop a lasting relationship with them and will notice that their children will be more apt to include them in their plans and stay home more. Here are some wonderful ways to get the whole family in the kitchen together!
Let children get creative with snack time! Use snack time as an opportunity to introduce healthy foods, without the pressure of putting a full meal on the table. Encourage your family to use their imaginations and think up some new, quick and healthy snacks the whole family will enjoy!
Put your child in charge of a whole meal or just one part of it. Encourage them to pick a recipe(s), make a shopping list, and find the ingredients in the grocery store. Let them prepare the food with you, set the table, and plate the meal. When kids have invested time in the kitchen, they will not only eat everything on their plate, but they will remember the bonds made in the kitchen!
Encourage individuality by making individual pizzas. Make the pizza dough together and let each member of the family make a list of what he or she wants on their pizza. Everyone gets into the kitchen and creates their own. You can even make awards like the Most Imaginative or Best at Thinking Outside the Box...
Instead of using the normal casserole dishes, use ramekins and muffin tins to bake meals. Children love having meals in petite portions. This also helps with overeating! Childhood obesity is on the rise. One out of three children is considered to be obese. So-called convenience foods are readily available to busy families. Fast food chains can be found on just about every corner of the country! Many of us will agree that convenience is not more important than the health and well-being of our families.
Making memories is so important, but another aspect of cooking is turning your kitchen into a classroom! What makes a cake rise? How many cups are in a pint? What's the third step in that recipe? Read about a certain country or cuisine and make a meal generally eaten in that region. Math, reading, science and geography can be enjoyed in the kitchen! Make dinner preparation a part of your daily routine. Try not to think that you are taking your children away from their school work, but in fact adding to their learning experience!
Get the whole family involved in a Cultural Night! Invite a few friends over and ask everyone to do a little research, choose a country they'd like to learn about and share a recipe from that country. We have organized and participated in several International Nights over the years. Our family puts together a presentation and shares a meal with other families! Anyone can do this! It can be enjoyed with just a couple of families or several! We've also had friends play musical instruments or dance for the enjoyment of everyone!
Children love to be helpers and within each of us is a yearning to make our parents proud. Turn your child into your very own "sous chef", by giving them responsibilities in the kitchen. Depending on the age of your children your right-hand man or woman will be there to help you clean items, peel and cut vegetables, stir and mix! Younger children can help gather the ingredients needed for a recipe.
As a child I enjoyed cooking with my grandmother and helping my mom make mashed potatoes and other sides for our main meals. These lessons helped me to not only learn the fundamentals of cooking, but the importance of nurturing my family. I also love welcoming people into our home, so cooking with my fmaily taught me how to be hospitable. Cooking with your children will not only teach them culinary skills and good food choices, but lifelong skills which can be passed on to their children. So get into the kitchen today and cook with you families!