Making Meals, Making Memories
Adventures in healthy eating can start long before the food is on the table. The adventure can begin in the kitchen by involving young children in meal preparation!
Besides making great memories, here are a few other benefits of having children help in the kitchen:
- Children who help prepare foods are more willing to try new foods.
- Children can learn responsibilities such as setting or clearing the table.
- Even at an early age, children can learn basic cooking skills that they can use later in life.
- The kitchen is a natural learning environment. You can talk about where foods come from and what happens to food when it is combined with other foods or heated.
- Math concepts can be reinforced by counting how many eggs go into muffins or how many ½ cups does it take to make 1 cup.
Sometimes it may seem quicker and less messy to do meal preparation yourself. Knowing what children of different ages can do in the kitchen can make it easier. Here are a few ideas from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/picky-eaters/kitchen-activities.html
At 2 years:
- Wipe tables
- Hand items to adult to put away (such as after grocery shopping)
- Place things in trash
- Tear lettuce or greens
- Help “read” a cookbook by turning the pages
- Make “faces” out of pieces of fruits and vegetables
- Rinse vegetables or fruits
- Snap green beans
At 3 years:
All that a 2 year old can do, plus:
- Add ingredients
- Talk about cooking
- Scoop or mash potatoes
- Squeeze citrus fruits
- Stir pancake batter
- Knead and shape dough
- Name and count foods
- Help assemble a pizza
At 4 years:
All that a 3 year old can do, plus:
- Peel eggs and some fruits, such as oranges and bananas
- Set the table
- Crack eggs
- Help measure dry ingredients
- Help make sandwiches and tossed salads
At 5 years:
All that a 4 year old can do, plus:
- Measure liquids
- Cut soft fruits with a dull knife
- Use an egg beater
- Clear the table
At 6-8 years:
All that 5 year olds can do plus,
- Begin to microwaves, stoves and ovens with adult supervision.
- Start reading recipes
- Become increasingly more helpful in preparing food, setting the table, and cleaning up the kitchen
Take time this month and bring a child into the kitchen. You can make meals and memories that will last a lifetime!
Mary Schroeder works for the University of Minnesota Extension which helps to connect community needs with University of Minnesota resources. Specifically the Health and Nutrition programs and resources focus on disease & obesity prevention, healthy school environments, and continuing education for community professionals. You can link to the Extension Health and Nutrition website at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/health/
