Cooking as a Family: Getting Kids to Help in the Kitchen

Family mealtime, the simple act of gathering the family around the table to eat together regularly, has long-reaching benefits to the health and wellness of children and adolescents from fighting obesity and substance abuse to making families stronger. But, juggling jobs, kids and the demands of busy lives can sometimes come at the expense of family mealtime.

How to Involve Kids in the Kitchen

Calling all junior chefs! Now is the perfect time to get your kids involved in preparing family meals. These simple recipes present a fun and easy way to start cooking as a family.

Meal Planning is Key

Did you know that 63 percent of Americans decide what to eat less than one hour before eating? Planning for meals is a key strategy to improve the nutrition quality and frequency of family meals. Setting a routine time for weekly meal planning helps.

Choose a relaxing time in your schedule when you can carve out about 30 minutes of quiet time. I like to plan on Saturday mornings when my kids are still asleep. Divide a sheet of paper in half and designate one side for your grocery list and one side for main meals.

Choosing the Right Recipe

Take time to look through your recipe box and cookbooks and browse online through the newly updated “recipes” section of Easy Home Meals where you can search by meal type, key ingredients, dietary preference, cooking method, holidays & occasions and more. Here are some great recipes to try this fall with your kids.

Tips to Enjoy Cooking as a Family

Eating Smart Starts in Your Cart

Keeping healthful frozen food and refrigerated foods on hand can make it easier to get better-for-you meals on the table. Plan your grocery shopping list based on recipes and meal planning. Keep staple refrigerated and frozen meal ingredients on hand so you never run out of supplies to cook one of your favorite meals at home.

For example, a frozen pizza pairs nicely with fresh bagged salad. Frozen tortellini pairs well with frozen broccoli florets, jarred tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese shreds. Stuff whole-grain tortilla wraps with seasoned black beans, frozen riced vegetables, cheddar cheese shreds and a drizzle of salsa.

Invite Kids into the Kitchen

Sure, your kitchen will stay neater if you do all the meal prep yourself. But, don’t miss out on a crucial opportunity to teach kids much-needed life skills. Encouraging kids to help prepare meals can help reduce picky eating and build a “yes, I can” attitude when it comes to cooking.

Kids Can Help at Any Age

Read the entire recipe together before starting to cook to make sure you have enough time, food ingredients and supplies. Choose recipes with some simple steps that are easy for kids to help with at any age.

Give age-appropriate tasks to children and ask for their input on what side dishes to serve with a planned main dish. Let hungry helpers snack on raw fruits and vegetables while their appetite is at its greatest and the main meal is not yet ready to serve.

Age Appropriate Cooking Task
Toddlers	Pre-Schoolers	Grade-Schoolers
Rinse fruits & vegetables	Count recipe ingredients	Pour & measure ingredients
Tear leafy greens	Crack an egg	Wipe counters & set table
Pretend to cook along	Add ingredients to bowls	Help with grocery shopping
Practice food names & colors	Stir or whisk ingredients	Peel produce & hard-cooked eggs
Sprinkle cheese shreds	Sprinkle herbs & seasonings	Scrape bowls using a spatula
Taste food ingredients	Help serve food	Set timer & turn appliances on/off

Make Dinner Time—Positive Family Time

Meals should be a safe zone of positivity, not a power struggle between picky eaters and parents. Encourage your kids to try new foods during shared mealtimes without judgment and offer praise just for the act of trying something new.

Discourage others from “yucking” someone else’s yummy food choice.  And, most of all make family mealtime a device-free zone where everyone gets a chance to engage in meaningful conversations to learn more about each other’s lives.

Encouraging kids to join you in the kitchen can help nurture their creativity while teaching them teamwork and other valuable life skills. Plus, it’s a great way to bond as a family!

Cooking together can create lasting memories (along with some delicious meals, of course!). Once you’ve worked through these recipes, make sure to explore our full list of recipes for more cooking inspiration.

We’d love to hear about your family meal experiences, favorite recipes, solutions and pitfalls on your favorite social channels. Share your stories and photos and tag @EasyHomeMeals.