Make it a competition
Most kids enjoy a friendly competition and
many also like watching cooking competitions
on reality TV. You can bring this idea into your
home kitchen by creating your own cooking
competition. Pick a theme and let the kids get
creative by making their own recipe. Some
ideas might be a cupcake or cookie decorating
challenge, an appetizer, or main dish. You
can make it more challenging by determining
ingredients they must include (or can’t use) in
their recipe.
Plan the menu
My kids don’t always love what I choose to
cook on weeknights. To get them involved and
increase the likelihood that they will eat what
I am serving, I like to ask them to help me plan
the weekly menu. Sometimes my older kids
will offer to cook one of the meals themselves.
I try to encourage them to choose menu items
that include vegetables and fresh, healthy
ingredients. This also gives us an opportunity
to discuss budget. You can take it a step further
and let them help you pick out items at the store
and help prepare the meals.
Kids that are comfortable in the kitchen are
usually more self sufficient, eat healthier foods,
have a wider palette, and are more likely to try
new foods. More importantly, it’s fun to spend
time together and get creative in the kitchen
with your kids.
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