Whisks and Wellness: Let’s Get Kids Cooking!

We believe that raising healthy kids isn’t just about checkups and vaccines, it’s also about building healthy habits at home. One simple and powerful way to do that? Invite your kids into the kitchen.

Kids who help their parents cook are more likely to try all the foods you prepare, even if they don't embrace them right away. Cooking teaches kids about nutrition and food safety—not to mention mathematics and science. A child who becomes skilled in the kitchen is less likely to grab processed foods quickly when hungry.

Ready to have your kids begin cooking? Here are some tips for enlisting their help.

Start with food safety.

Be sure your children know the basics, like:

• Washing their hands with soap and running water before and after handling food.

• Keeping work surfaces clean.

• Keeping raw meat, poultry and fish separate from other foods.

• Waiting until food is cooked before tasting it.

• Cooking foods to their proper temperatures.

Let them explore with their senses.

Kneading dough. Rinsing produce. Tearing lettuce and snapping green beans. These activities will pique a child's curiosity about food with senses other than taste. If your child is hesitant to taste a food, invite them to smell it first. Taste it yourself and tell them how good it is.

Teach them how to read (and follow) a recipe.

Show your kids how to gather ingredients and utensils for a recipe. Tell them why it's important to measure the correct amount of each ingredient for the recipe to work.

Pediatrician-Approved Kitchen Tips.

• Ages 2-4: Let toddlers rinse fruits and vegetables and give them safe tools to stir, mash or sprinkle.

• Ages 5-7: Teach simple measuring and counting, practice reading short recipe steps together, and introduce basic knife safety with soft foods and kid-safe utensils.

• Ages 8-12: With your help, let them plan one meal a week, show them how to use the stove safely under supervision, and talk about nutrients: “Why do we eat broccoli or eggs?”

• All Ages: Focus on fun, not perfection. Expect a little mess, celebrate effort, and offer praise when they try new foods–even one bite counts!

“You don’t have to be a perfect cook to raise a healthy eater. The joy of cooking with kids is in the laughter and learning. It’s one of the most powerful hands-on learning tools we can provide them.” Samantha Rohe, MD, Faith Regional Health Services Pediatrics.

Faith Regional Physician Services Pediatrics is here to support your family’s health, inside and outside of the kitchen. Call us at (402) 844-8682 to schedule your child's appointment.