When children help out in meal preparation, they are more likely to try new foods. Letting kids help out with mealtime can increase the time it takes at first, but once they get into the habit, they can not only provide real help, they learn skills that many schools no longer teach. Teach your kids how to cook healthy, and they’re more likely to eat healthy too. At Cooking Veggies, we can help, with easy, healthy food recipes.
Easy Vegetarian Recipes Are Good Choices
With beginners, particularly young ones, handling meat and taking all necessary precautions for sanitation can be a bit much. Start out with easy vegetarian recipes like pasta primavera or meatless chili, and kids can handle ingredients without worries about spreading pathogens. Ideally you should look for recipes with half a dozen or fewer ingredients. Even elementary aged children can help with measuring, adding ingredients, and stirring. Older children can help with more complex tasks.
You Manage Sharp Utensils and Hot Surfaces
Naturally, with younger children, you need to be the one manning the knives and other sharp utensils and dealing with the stove and oven. If you have older children or teens, you can show them how to sharpen knives and chop foods, and instruct them on how to use the stove and oven. Most children are open to helping out in the kitchen, and when they do, they’ll gain new respect for the parent who prepares meals.
Let Kids Help with Presentation and Serving Too
Presentation and serving are also important steps in meal preparation. Use melamine or paper plates, and your youngest children can set the table and do things like place the bread basket on the table. Older children can pour milk, water, or tea, and your pre-teens and teens can put food in serving dishes or take hot casserole dishes to the table. When children are invested in the process of preparing healthy food recipes, they’re more open to trying new foods.
Letting Kids Help with Healthy Meal Recipes Teaches Valuable Life Lessons
Learning how to cook healthy meals doesn’t just teach children important cooking skills they’ll use as adults, it also teaches them how mealtime can bring families and friends closer. They’ll gain better appreciation for their parents’ efforts to prepare meals, and if you show them that healthy foods can taste delicious, they’ll learn that recipes for healthy eating don’t have to be boring or bland.
Are you ready to begin cooking with your kids? Check out our site and look for ideas to help you involve your kids in the cooking of healthy meals.