Empower Kids with Cooking Skills This Summer
Inside: Empower kids with cooking skills for healthy snacks and meals. This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosure.
I don’t know how things run in your household, but I find that sometimes certain skills get pushed aside. For us, intentional cooking skills are one of those that get dropped when mom gets busy. Thankfully, summer is a great time to get in some kitchen learning that may have been neglected over the school year.
With seven kids, I have children with varying skill and comfort levels when it comes to cooking and baking.
Aside from just being fun, there are many benefits to involving your kids in food preparation.
Teach Kids Proper Nutrition
The best way to teach proper nutrition is by example. Having conversations about serving sizes and eating good foods is much more interesting if you get to participate. If you need some ideas, check out this HUGE list of healthy snacks for kids.
Include your kids in your menu planning for the week. Ask for opinions on what vegetables should be included as sides or what fruit they want for a snack. Their answers may surprise you. My son recently requested brussel sprouts as a side to go with the pasta and meatballs his younger sister requested for dinner.
We have a large family, so I often have my older children divide snacks into serving sizes when we get home. Otherwise, I have children who will sit down and eat a whole bag of cherries or goldfish in one sitting! Sometimes I think I’m raising hobbits. By letting them divide the snacks, they are more aware of what a serving size is for that specific thing.
Build Confidence with Cooking Skills
Studies show that kids who do chores regularly around the house have higher self-esteem, are more independent as adults, and are more willing to help out around the house as children. Teaching kids cooking skills builds their confidence and teaches them to be self-reliant.
Even preschoolers can learn simple cooking skills. I love this list of snacks that even a preschooler can make. My toddler and preschooler love helping out in the kitchen.
Cooking Skills Prepare Kids for Life
When my oldest daughter was eleven, I woke up in the middle of the night frazzled. I had a dream she was getting married and all I had taught her to cook was spaghetti. I doubled my resolve to make more of an effort to teach her how to cook.
I want my kids to be able to prepare healthy meals for themselves and family before they leave our home and have one of their own.
On a plus side for me, once they become proficient in the kitchen, they usually enjoy taking a rotation in making family dinner for everyone giving me a night or two off for cooking.
This easy chocolate banana bread recipe is a favorite beginner recipe in our house. In fact, I think sometimes my kids purposefully don’t eat the bananas so they have an excuse to use the overripe ones to make banana bread.
Whatever cooking skills you decide to start with, enjoy bonding with your kids while you teach them important life skills.
