Encouraging children to learn and participate in mealtimes is a new year's resolution worth making. But how to get kids interested in fresh fruits and veggies when they really want to eat french fries and plain pasta? Simply in Season Children's Cookbook (Herald Press, 2006) is a great resource for parents who want to encourage their children to participate in healthy eating all the way from the garden to the kitchen and at the table.
Growing Healthy Food is Easy and Fun for Kids
One of the first steps in getting kids excited about eating healthy food is involving them in the whole process of creating that food, and that starts by digging in the garden and planting seeds in the springtime. Eating healthy food in season means having an awareness of what food is in season at different times of the year.
The Simply in Season Children's Cookbook is arranged by season, with gardening tips, recipes and a poem for each season. By encouraging children to have an active role in choosing plants to grow in the garden and teaching them how to care for those plants as they grow, they will have a feeling of ownership and more interest in eating those vegetables when they are cooked and served at the table.
Children Can Cook Too
If a child can stir a spoon, handle a potato masher, or scrub veggies in the sink then he or she will be able to participate in cooking. The Simply in Season Children's Cookbook is designed for children over age 6, but most parents know their own children well enough to give them tasks that are within their abilities.
Young toddlers and preschoolers love to "wash" veggies while standing on a chair at the sink or sitting on a towel on the kitchen floor with a basin of water in front of them. School age kids can read recipes, gather ingredients, and chop, stir and bake with adult supervision. By tolerating a bit more mess and allowing for the extra time it will take to have a child help or cook a meal independently, parents will give their children confidence and skill in cooking that will last a lifetime.
Family Mealtimes Matter
An important part of teaching children healthy eating habits is having a family mealtime where the family gathers together to eat, talk and listen to one another. Eating meals in the car on the way to one activity or another might be faster, but taking the time to sit down together benefits children both nutritionally and emotionally.
The Simply in Season Children's Cookbook recognizes the importance of family mealtimes with attractive pictures of the simple, kid friendly recipes prepared by children's hands and served on the table. Also, a poem, prayer or blessing is included after the recipes for each season. These prayers and blessings are Christian in focus, but parents can change them to suit their individual spiritual or secular beliefs.
Make the new year ahead one filled with healthy, nutritious meals by teaching children how to grow, prepare and serve food to the family. Children of all ages can participate in tending a garden or indoor plants, preparing and cooking meals and eating together as a family. By participating kids will learn lasting skills in cooking and develop the lifelong habit of eating healthy foods.
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Michelle Carchrae - Michelle Carchrae has worked as a Volunteer Phone Counselor at Childline and as a Training Developer and Call Centre Trainer, but the job ...
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