Getting Little Hands Involved at Mealtime
Cooking or baking with the kids. Some parents love and embrace it daily; for others, even the thought of it makes you cringe. If we embrace the mess, even occasionally, getting kids involved in the kitchen can be a lovely bonding experience - not to mention educational.
Quality time
We already know our babies live for engaging interactions with us. And if you've landed on this website, chances are pretty high that a healthy lifestyle is something you value for your family. That said, putting the two together by getting your children involved at mealtime is a no-brainer.
Even with toddlers, cooking and baking together provide endless opportunities for connection and communication. Discuss every aspect of what you're doing, the ingredients, and how it works - you're making memories while encouraging a positive relationship with food.
Healthy Helpers
Speaking of positive food relationships, what better way to encourage the tasting of new foods than have your children involved in the preparation themselves? As parents, we're often concerned about our fussy little eaters and how to get enough of the good stuff in. Kids are more likely to be willing to try something they might have otherwise turned their nose up at if they've made it themselves!
You could try some of these ideas :
Add spinach to homemade pizzas - a pizza-making station is easy to set up and a perfect activity for little ones!
Fruit and vege muffins - sweet or savoury, muffins are a great and flexible option which can be jam-packed with nutrients!
Loaded Lasagne - get those little hands chopping, slicing, and bulking out your Lasagne with vege-laden goodness.
Adding Childlife Essentials supplements to recipes. The fruity and neutral flavours will either enhance or go completely undetected in loads of different recipes - like these.
Responsibility = self-worth
Your kids' faces will undoubtedly beam with pride at their kitchen creations, even more so as their cooking skills develop with experience. Make sure to get them involved in the clean up too! Washing dishes and tidying the workspace is just as important to cooking as food preparation. It is an excellent way to teach responsibility to your children, which leads to not only pride but an enhanced sense of self-worth.
Roll up your sleeves, dig out the recipe books and pull up the step-stool - make memories and meals when you get your children involved in the kitchen!