Kids in the Kitchen: A recipe for lifelong health
By Nicole Clark Family & Consumer Science Specialist | County Director, La Plata County
Planning and preparing food are usually a parent’s job. Imagine how nice it would be to have help in the kitchen while helping your child become more self-sufficient in the process?
For a parent of young kids, this seems like a dream! Cooking uses knives and stoves, so it will be a while before your kids can help in the kitchen, right? Not necessarily! With a little patience and guidance, there are many age-appropriate food preparation activities for kids.
When kids help to prepare food…
- They increase the variety of foods in their diet, including fruits and vegetables.
- Children learn and improve quickly and this builds confidence in the kitchen.
- Their skills and healthy habits follow them into adulthood.
- Family connections are created. Teens who feel a sense of connection do better in school, have better emotional regulation, and are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Before long, your little one will be a teenager too!
How to successfully engage kids in the kitchen:
- Expect it to take longer and be messier than usual. Have patience and set the expectation that clean-up is part of the process.
- Involve kids in recipe selection using images of the food; adjust ingredients for food preferences.
- Choose an appropriate task based on age or current skill.
- Ages 2 – 3: Mix, mash, tear, scoop and stir.
- Ages 3 – 5: Crack eggs, fill dishwasher and pour premeasured ingredients.
- Ages 5 – 7: Keep practicing! Your child is developing fine motor skills essential to food preparation.
- Ages 7 – 9: Open cans, peel, supervised knife handling and use food thermometers.
- Age 9 – 12: Cook with stove, oven, or microwave and follow recipes (Bonus: your kids are using math skills!).
Let’s Talk
As a role model for a young chef in the making, practice using “tell, show, do”. To prepare yourself, read the recipe in advance and have your ingredients and kitchen tools ready to use.
- Today, we are going to make the special food you chose using a step-by-step process called a recipe.
- For each step, I will explain what to do, show you how to do it and then let you practice by doing.
- Safety is very important in the kitchen. Please follow my instructions and stay focused. If you need a break, let me know.
Recipe: Guacamole, with a twist!
Ingredients
- ½ cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed | ages 9 and older with supervision
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons of lime juice (about ½ of a lime) | ages 5 and up
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin | ages 5 and up
- ½ – 1 teaspoon of salt | ages 5 and up
- ¼ cup diced tomatoes – fresh or canned, drain if using canned (optional) | ages 9 and older with supervision
- Chips or veggies for serving (optional)
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Medium-sized knife
- Medium-sized bowl
- Masher or fork
- Spoon
- Measuring spoons
Instructions
- Wash lids of cans with soap and water (beans and tomatoes) | all ages
- Wash food contact surfaces with soap and water. | all ages
- Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds | all ages
- Wash avocado with clean water | all ages
- Using the bear claw technique, cut avocado in half and remove seed | ages 9 and older with parental supervision
- Put beans in a bowl and mash with a fork or masher | all ages
- Use a spoon to scoop avocado from skin and put into bowl with beans | all ages
- Mash beans and avocado until well mixed | all ages, taste using a clean spoon
- Mix in lime juice, salt, and cumin until incorporated | all ages, taste using a clean spoon
- ASK: What do you think of the added seasoning?
- Add optional tomatoes and gently stir in | all ages
- Serve and enjoy | all ages