Rainbow Blog

A Recipe for Teaching Children To Cook and to Eat Healthy

posted by: Kia

We have a wonderful guest blog post written by Dan Gilbert on behalf of Primrose Schools; a leader in educational childcare!  Once you read this article take a moment to check out their fantastic website! Enjoy…

Spending time with your child is precious, spending time with them AND teaching them a life long lesson, is priceless. As adults we may find ourselves spending a majority of our time in the kitchen preparing meals, snacks and desserts. Dr. Mary Zurn, Vice President of Primrose Preschools suggests that instead of wasting this the time we spend in the kitchen, we should utilize it and use it as quality time to spend with our children.

Eating right is an important part of life today and can easily be incorporated into cooking with your child. Whole foods such as pasta and bread are simple substitutions that can be made to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Without your child even knowing they are learning, you can use cooking or baking to teach children about healthy eating choices and incorporate whole foods into the lesson.  The more they hear about healthy eating as children, the more likely they will be to continue those eating habits throughout the rest of their lives.

As adults, the one room of the house we spend the most amount of time in can be the most dangerous for our young children. The loud, unfamiliar noises and delicious smells can make the kitchen the most desirable place for children to want to play. Don’t let the potential hazards of the kitchen keep children out.

 By following this simple recipe, parents can teach their children valuable skills to use in the kitchen, while spending quality time with them:

1. Engage your child meaningfully. Think of independent tasks your children can accomplish themselves. Completing simple jobs like spreading butter, rolling dough and measuring sugar can boost a child’s sense of pride and accomplishment. While your child measures and mixes, it is a great time to discuss whole foods and why they are important, no matter how old your child is. Even very young children can get involved – give them some pots, pans and wooden spoons so they can pretend to cook with you or use them for music-making which will give them a sense of involvement as well.
2. Set some ground rules. Supervision in the kitchen is a must when children are around. Make sure you create a list of ground rules and go over them with your child before starting any activity in the kitchen. An important rule to teach your child to always follow is to wash your hands before and after handling food. This will help germs from spreading. Discuss on a regular basis what’s safe to touch and what’s not. Another useful tip, make sure the handles of pots and pans on the stove are turned in so no one bumps them or runs into them spilling hot good or water.
3. Build up skills step-by-step. Essential skills can be learned within the kitchen, such as, counting eggs or measuring cups of water. For more advanced skills, start slowly and have your child master easy tasks before attempting harder ones. This will give them confidence. Older children can be taught more advance tasks, such as using a dull knife. Give them soft items such as cooked noodles or bread to slice. Once your child’s coordination develops more, they can be introduced to slicing and cutting some tougher foods such as fruits and veggies.
4. Keep it fun. There is no way to avoid the “oops” from happening in the kitchen, but there is no need to stress if a mess is made. If the cake batter ends up on the wall instead of inside the bowl after using a mixer, offer some guidance and let your child try again. Learning to clean up is just as important as making the mess!

When your meal is complete, be sure to compliment your sous chef on what a fantastic job they did, and off them the first bite! Ask your child what they would like to make next time, and tell them what a great time you had. Until then, bon appétit!

Submitted by Dan Gilbert on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years, they have helped individuals achieve higher levels of success by providing them with an AdvancED® accredited, early child care services and education.  Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Dan has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering