How to Get Your Kids Involved in Cooking

Kids who learn to cook from an early age are kids who will grow up to enjoy good food and develop a respect for what they put into their bodies. They'll also know how to make easy, nutritious and inexpensive meals. Parents can help their children learn to enjoy cooking with these simple tips.

Take them Grocery Shopping

Good cooking starts with good shopping habits. Parents should make every effort to bring kids with them as they shop for ingredients for meals each week. Kids can learn how to select the freshest vegetables and how to check fruit for ripeness and quality. Children can also learn how to create a food budget and stick to it.

Browse Cookbooks Together

Read cookbooks with kids. Kids can see pictures, look at techniques and imagine a finished product. Ask children to pick out the recipes they like best. Kids can learn to make simple recipes they'll use for the rest of their lives.

Give Them Small Tasks in the Kitchen

Even young children can learn to do little things. They can measure sugar, stir pasta to keep it from sticking and keep an eye on the kitchen timer. Children who are given these small tasks become invested in the finished product. As kids grow up, they can be entrusted with more difficult tasks like chopping onions.

Teach Tasting and Sampling Flavors

Part of cooking is knowing how to taste things. Provide children with small samples of things to eat as the cooking continues. This is the ideal time to teach kids to embrace varied types of flavors. Let them sample almond butter, taste prunes and eat white beans. They'll grow up eager to look for new flavors everywhere.

Get them Their Own Tools

Lots of tools on the market are easy for kids to handle even at a young age. A small child can enjoy the feel of a wooden spoon. Older kids can have their own cookie cutters and measuring cups. Designate a space in the kitchen for storing their own things so they can use them as they help with the cooking.

Plant and Grow Herbs and Fruits and Veggies

Spending time outdoors is a great way to combine family time and cooking lessons. A child can have their own small part of the garden where they can grow things they like to eat like potatoes and tomatoes. Harvest these with them as they grow and make great meals.