4 Quick Tips to Get Kids Cooking!

*Special thanks to Soni Melvin for her contributions to this blog post.

Looking for some great ways to get your kids excited about meal time? Get them involved in the process! Here are some quick and easy ways to involve kids in planning, prepping and cooking.

4 Ways to Involve Kids in Cooking

#1 – Brainstorm meal ideas.

Involve your kids in the meal planning process. Have them share their favorite ingredients and work with them to build a few meals around these ingredients.

#2 – Make a plan & let them help.

Look through cookbooks, magazines, websites, even old family recipes. Read the names of the recipes and describe the foods on the ingredient list. This will teach them how to search for new ideas and help you get a sense for what role they can play in the preparation.

#3 – Bring them shopping.

Involving kids in grocery shopping is a great opportunity to involve them in the food you’ll be preparing and eating for the week.

#4 – Let kids help with meal prep.

Assigning tasks based on age and skills is a great way to involve children in mealtime tasks. Younger children can do tasks such as washing vegetables and bringing ingredients from one place to another.

Older children can practice their math and science skills by measuring and counting ingredients, while teens can prepare meals such as their lunches or snacks. This will encourage independence and teach them lifelong skills.

Kid-Friendly Recipes

The following are some great recipes from Cooking Matters that would be great for kids to flex their culinary skills:

About Meredith Ebersohl, RD

Meredith is a registered dietitian who teaches nutrition classes, offers one-on-one nutrition counseling, and develops education material. She is passionate about explaining nutrition research and helping people incorporate sustainable changes in their lives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, their two young children, and their middle-aged pets.