BY LIZ PEARSON
THERE IS ROOM in the kitchen for all children, no matter what kind of eater they are.
Naturally, some pick at their supper timidly,
while others dig into vegetable curries and
sushi with abandon. But teaching kids to prepare snacks, simple dishes and even entire
meals is a surefire way to raise healthier and
more enthusiastic eaters.
Catherine McCord, founder of weeli
cious.com and author of Weelicious: 140 Fast,
Fresh, and Easy Recipes (William Morrow,
2012; not available at Costco), suggests that
kids are capable of much more than they are
given credit for. “Too often it’s ‘Here’s your
food; eat up!’ ” she says. “But giving kids own-
ership in the kitchen is super important.”
To get started, create a kid-friendly tool-
kit. “Children are empowered if they have
their own tools,” says McCord. Include items
like a whisk, rolling pin, wooden spoon, mea-
suring cups, vegetable peeler and kitchen
shears for snipping herbs and produce.
Next, establish a safe and sturdy place for
children to help. Toddlers as young as a year
and a half old can use small plastic containers
on their highchair tray to pile or sample
ingredients during the basic prep work for a
meal—putting lettuce leaves in a salad bowl,
for example. For a child who is 2 or 3 years
old, consider a wide step stool that raises him
or her to counter height. Or rest bowls on the
kitchen table for stirring and whisking,
adjusting the setup for safety and sturdiness
as the child grows.
Explain kitchen hazards using respect and
candor. “It’s important to set boundaries in the
kitchen. It’s a hot place, a busy place,” cautions
McCord. Offer clear instructions for working
around the stove, oven and sharp knives, and
encourage control of reaching hands.
Although it can be a tall order, avoid turn-
ing kids away from the kitchen when they ask
to help. “The best time to teach kids to cook is
at every meal, every meal, every meal!” encour-
ages McCord. Jobs don’t need to be monumen-
tal. Moving vegetables, olives or crumbled
cheese from the cutting board to a big bowl, or
shaking vinaigrette in a Mason jar, gets chil-
dren excited about the upcoming meal.
“Listen, it can get a little messy some-
times,” says McCord, herself a busy mother of
three. “It’s important that parents pick projects
that are within their comfort level.” To avoid
frustration, tackle larger (and often messier)
projects—like baking oatmeal chocolate chip
cookies—on a less rushed night or weekend.
Lastly, include cookbooks with photos at
story time, reading the recipe titles, headnotes
and ingredient lists out loud. Point out dishes
that have familiar ingredients, but that might
introduce a new flavor, like scrambled eggs
with smoked salmon. “When you go through
cookbooks, let the kids put tabs on everything
they’d like to taste,” proposes McCord, “and
follow up by scheduling a time to make one of
their ideas.”
Knowing when children are ready for
advanced tasks as they mature is a balance of
interest, ability and trust. “It’s important for us
to teach kids to be self-sufficient and move
toward cooking their own food,” says Sarah
cook
The
kidcan
Welcoming children into the kitchen
“The best time
to teach kids to
cook is at every
meal, every meal,
every meal!”
—Catherine McCord,
founder of
weelicious.com
©
HE
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/
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DI
AB
A
KE
RY
OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS
Click here to watch a video recipe for
Egg in the Hole from
weelicious.com.
(See page 13 for details.)
for your table
THE COS TCO CONNECTION
Prepare meals with your kid using a variety of ingredients and kitchen tools available at Costco and on Costco.com
