5 Cooking Skills to Teach Your Kids

5 Cooking Skills to Teach Your Kids

Now that you're spending more time at home, this is a great time to help your kids sharpen their cooking skills and spend more quality time as a family. While the cooking skills you choose to teach your children depends on the child and what they know already, we're confident that these five cooking tips for kids can help get you started on the right track. How do you know if your child is ready for each of these skills? It all starts with one simple signdo they show interest in cooking? If your children tend to ask a lot of questions while you're cooking or are interested in the different ingredients you add to their meals, they might be eager to learn more about the cooking process itself. When first learning how to teach kids to cook, it's essential to focus on age-appropriate skills. If your child is too young to be prepping certain foods on their own, then we suggest waiting before advancing them to that particular skill. Remember, it's never too late, or early, to get your kid cooking in the kitchen with you!

Meal Planning

Get creative with your kids in the kitchen and let them help you meal plan for the week! Start by assigning your child one meal a week. Whether it's Wednesday lunch or Friday's family dinner, let your child choose what they'd like to serve that day. Then when the special day of the week comes, help your kid prepare their chosen meal! Not only will this allow you to give your kids more responsibility around the house, but it's also a great way to include them in more family decisions. [caption id="attachment_1176830" align="aligncenter" width="766"]5 Cooking Skills to Teach Your Kids | Bob's Red Mill Blog Homemade Buttermilk Rolls[/caption] When allowing your children to meal plan, it's necessary to give them a set of rules or "meal plan standards." Rules like "no cake for breakfast" and "each meal must include a veggie or protein" will help guide your children to make healthy food choices. If you have young children who you feel aren't quite ready for the responsibility of planning an entire meal, instead, have them choose a side dish or veggie that they'd like to add to the menu that week. Let them take a look at the vegetables in the kitchen and give them hints as to which pairs best with each meal. Even if they're not planning an entire meal, they'll still feel a sense of responsibility, and you can gauge just how interested in cooking they are!

Shop Healthy

When it comes to cooking, shopping is one of the most important steps! Knowing which ingredients to purchase and how to use them can help your child make better food (and health) decisions. Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring. Teach your child from a young age that healthy foods can easily be turned into delicious, flavorsome recipes. Healthy fruits and vegetables like bananas, avocados and even spinach can be incorporated into meals that even the pickiest of kids will enjoy! 5 Cooking Skills to Teach Your Kids | Bob's Red Mill Blog Need some recipe inspiration? Check out this Paleo Chocolate Avocado Mousse Recipe. A fun way to get the kids involved in making a healthy meal, this recipe will teach them that creamy fruits like avocado can be turned into a sweet dessert! In this recipe, our Paleo Baking Flour is used to create crisp chocolate shells that are then filled with creamy chocolate avocado mousse. When topped with fresh raspberries, this dessert is a nutritious treat that is perfect for serving at your next family meal.

Preparing Food

Your child has likely seen you prepare food before. Whether they've helped you measure ingredients for a baked good or watched you chop veggies to add to a stew, now is the time to include them in the process. Depending on your child's age, you can select which tasks they can handle. For younger children, when it's time to prepare veggies, try giving them the task of washing them first. Or, if you're baking a sweet treat, include your children during the measuring processwho knows, maybe they'll even get a math lesson out of it! When teaching children the skill of preparing a meal, it's crucial to explain all of the steps included in the preparation process. This means, how to choose a recipe, checking for/buying the right ingredients and setting up/preparing each ingredient. Teach your child the importance of reading a recipe beforehand and help them decide if it's a suitable choice for the entire family. Be sure to point out any pitfalls when it comes to the chosen recipe. Is there an ingredient that one family member doesn't like? Show your child how to swap and substitute one ingredient for another to create a meal the entire family will enjoy. If everything about a recipe seems achievable, then give your child the green light and start doing an ingredient check. [caption id="attachment_1175003" align="aligncenter" width="770"]5 Cooking Skills to Teach Your Kids | Bob's Red Mill Blog Healthy breakfast cookies[/caption] Next, walk your child through the steps of checking cupboards and the refrigerator for all needed ingredients and the amount you have in stock. Once all ingredients have been accounted for, it's time for the final step: setting up the kitchen space! Prepare any needed materials like cutting boards, mixers, measuring cups, etc. and explain how each will be used in the recipe. Help your children set up the ingredients in the order that you'll use them and reread the steps of the recipe with them to ensure everything is correct. Once your kitchen and ingredients have been set up, it's time to start cooking!

Buy Only What Is Needed

By planning your weekly meals, you can create a shopping list full of the ingredients you'll need for the week, and nothing more! Including your children in the meal planning process and even letting them plan a meal themself, is an excellent way to teach your kids how to shop smarter. To take this smart shopping lesson a step further, have your child join you at the supermarket and give them their own section of the shopping list. Not only will this help them learn where certain foods are located, but they'll also feel a sense of responsibility knowing that they're helping to prepare a meal for the family.

Teach Them to Make a Variety of Different Recipes

After you've provided your child with a few essential cooking skills, it's time to put those skills to the test. Teaching your children how to make everything from delicious desserts to homemade bread will help them further develop their skills and turn them into a master junior chef! When picking a recipe to make with your child, it's important to choose one that isn't too complicated. Choosing kid-friendly recipes is an excellent way to ensure that your child will have fun cooking with you and allow them to work on their skills. Check out these kid-friendly recipes that you can make as a family!

Homemade Buttermilk Rolls

What's better than warm bread rolls straight from the oven? These easy-to-make Homemade Buttermilk Rolls can be enjoyed in just about 30 minutes. They're the perfect opportunity to teach your children the importance of kneading and how to make their own bread at home. Whether you choose to make this recipe as is or spice it up with a few of your favorite herbs, it will surely be a fun food to make!

Gluten Free Baked Apple Pancake

5 Cooking Skills to Teach Your Kids | Bob's Red Mill Blog It's no secret that children love pancakes. They're sweet, filling and oh so tasty! If you have a child or family member who is sensitive to gluten, take this opportunity to teach your kids how simply swapping one ingredient for another can create a meal everyone can enjoy. In this Gluten Free Baked Apple Pancake recipe, our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is used to create a light and fluffy pancake that is entirely gluten free. Topped with tender sliced apples and served with butter and maple syrup, it is a flavorsome breakfast that both kids and adults will enjoy!

Healthy Breakfast Cookies with Oats and Peanut Butter

Who said cookies can't be healthy? These Healthy Breakfast Cookies with Oats and Peanut Butter are just as nutritious as they are delicious. Their delightfully nutty taste is blended with sweet chocolate to create the perfect after-dinner dessert. Made from wholesome ingredients like Gluten Free Rolled Oats, Organic Chia Seed and Organic Golden Flax Seeds, these cookies are full of health benefits! Now that you're familiar with five of our favorite cooking skills for kids, it's time to incorporate them into your kitchen time. Remember, when cooking with children, it's important to focus on recipes that your child is interested in. If there are foods that your kid is not a fan of, then keep them out of this week's menu. Aside from teaching your children valuable skills, cooking with kids is a great way to squeeze family time into what would otherwise be a busy day! Have a great child-approved cooking skill you'd like to share? We'd love to hear about it! Share your favorite cooking tips and tricks with us in the comments below.
Bob's Red Mill
June 11 2020

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