It’s no secret that kids are more likely to eat what you put in front of them if they had a hand in preparing it. Whether this means sending an older child down the aisle of the grocery store to gather items with his own food list, teaching your younger child to measure ingredients, or letting a toddler help wash veggies, letting your kids lend a hand will make them feel confident in the kitchen and interested in the meal. Not to mention the great bonding opportunity this provides! Often there is no better place to talk about your day than gathered in the kitchen with no TV, phone calls, or other distractions.
Today, both of my teenagers like to help out in the kitchen; my son occasionally even creates dishes all on his own. They both learned young how to choose recipes, measure ingredients, and take pleasure in gathering ingredients and creating a meal. The sense of accomplishment they feel knowing that they helped make something the whole family will enjoy really stays with them – which is why I ended up with two budding chefs! And although we’re no longer cutting sandwiches into shapes with cookie cutters or making games out of eating veggies, some of our best memories still revolve around the kitchen.
Here are some tips to get kids of all ages involved:
- Have your child help with shopping and food preparation to make dinners more interesting and your child more likely to try new foods. Enlist your child’s help checking recipes, making a list, and gathering items at the grocery store.
- With a title like Assistant Chef or Official Taster, every kid will feel engaged and be more than happy to help. Start early to teach your child how to follow the steps of a recipe, gathering everything you need and measuring ingredients.
- While you may not want your kids holding a knife or working the stove, there are other ways for them to be involved, including using safe, kid-friendly kitchen utensils. Put kids to work washing fruits and vegetables and provide them with a child-sized apron and small kitchen tools that they can always have on hand.
- Let young children “decorate” the meals with sprinkles of pre-cut herbs, spices, or condiments. Give your child only the amount you’d want to see on the food – otherwise she’s likely to keep going until it’s gone.
- Nothing is more fun than making your own pizza – especially when kids get to add their own toppings. Ask your local pizza parlor or check in your grocery store for pizza dough and sauce. For a unique twist, try an upside-down deep dish pizza using ground beef, pizza dough and Ragú® Old World Style® Sweet Tomato Basil and then add your favorite toppings.
- Have an international dinner for your family where your child learns about the foods of different cultures. Give your child an opportunity to make choices about which country you visit next, and discuss the different ingredients as you use them.
- Plant a garden! Kids won’t complain about eating salads after helping to grow their own tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers. It’s also a great way to teach kids about using seasonal ingredients and saves money as well.
