cover – Inspiring Youths in the Kitchen

cover

INSPIRING YOUTHS IN THE KITCHEN

15 activities to get them cooking and eating well.

WRITTEN BY BARBARA TWITCHELL

1. Watch cooking shows together.
2. Peruse cooking magazines with them and let them pick out recipes they like.
3. Buy a children’s cookbook and let them select recipes to try.
4. Make grocery shopping a scavenger hunt. Let them help you find items on the grocery list.
5. Take them shopping at the farmers’ market. Encourage them to ask the farmers questions about where and how things were grown.
6. Visit a local farm or greenhouse, so they can see where their food comes from.
7. Do a seed-to-table project by planting a garden with them. Even a small windowsill herb garden will help them understand how food grows.
8. Let your child choose the menu for one meal each week. Give some requirements: It must include one or two vegetables, a starch or grain, and a protein, so that they can learn to create healthy, well-balanced meals.
9. Have a Food Adventure Night each week. Let them help cook something they’ve never tasted before. Children are more willing to try foods they helped make. It’s best to mix or pair the new item with other foods they like.
10. Explore ethnic foods by organizing a monthly International Night. You can even research culture, geography, music, and more with your little ones and make it part of the fun!
11. Challenge them to create meals around a theme, such as Finger Food Night (no utensils allowed), Meatless Monday (vegetarian dinner), Dipper Dinner (only foods you can dip in sauce or dressing), etc.
12. Encourage creativity, and let them experiment with different ingredients, even if it results in a flop. Failure is not only an option — it’s a great learning opportunity. Discuss what went wrong and how to fix it next time.
13. Look for opportunities in your community for your kids to expand their cooking knowledge. Sign them up for cooking classes. Check out 4-H culinary clubs. Is there a cooking camp in your area?
14. If you go out to eat, consider bypassing the children’s menu and encouraging them to try something from the regular menu, where there’s more diversity and better-tasting choices. Suggest they order from the appetizer or small-plates menu for more appropriate portion sizes, or have half of a regular-sized entrée put into a to-go box.
15. Eat together as a family every night, or as often as you can. No TV, no phones, no interruptions — just good food and pleasant family conversation. Have the children set a nice table, then dim the lights and light some candles. We reserve those things for special guests and special occasions, but who is more special than your family? Make every day with them a special occasion. You’ll be surprised how well your kids will respond.