It's A Family Affair: Involving Kids in the Kitchen
WRITTEN BY HANNAH BAKOWSKI
How often does your whole family get involved when preparing family meals? Many caregivers assume the sole responsibility for preparing and serving meals at home. However, sharing the work not only saves time, but also provides a meaningful opportunity for the family to come together and bond over the shared joy that comes with a delicious meal!
Research shows that children - especially in lower-income households - don’t always meet the recommended daily dietary needs1. This can be a problem long term. If an adolescent isn’t receiving the proper nutrients they need in order to grow, later on, they could develop osteoporosis, hyperlipidemia, obesity, delayed sexual maturation and loss of final adult height4. However, some research suggests that one simple solution to improve your child’s dietary intake and teach them to make healthier food choices is to get them involved in the kitchen.1,2
For many, knowing where to begin may feel daunting but rest assured that there are many strategies that work for kids at any age and skill level. Below are some useful ideas adapted from the Food Network’s article, “How to Safely Include Kids in the Kitchen.”
Kids in the Kitchen: Ideas for Every Age Group
Age 2-3 and Up: There are many tasks a child as young as two can engage with in the kitchen. This age range is crucial in sparking interest in cooking, but it’s important that tasks remain simple in order to introduce them slowly rather than overwhelm. Children in this age range can help by washing produce, drying produce, squeezing the juice out of lemons and limes using a plastic lemon squeezer, picking fresh herbs off the stems and then tearing them up to be used in dishes, using a pepper grinder, sprinkling salt and dried herbs into a dish, kneading dough, scooping potatoes or yams out of skins (make sure they’ve cooled down), brushing oil or melted butter onto a dough or crust, using a metal whisk to mix liquid ingredients together, and stirring and mashing food3. Taste testing is another helpful and developmentally useful job kids this age can do in the kitchen; it’s a great age to start associating different flavors (sweet, salty, spicy, savory, sour, bitter, hot, cold, etc.) with different foods.
Age 4-5 and Up: At this age, your child can continue working on the skills they’ve been taught as mentioned above. Depending on how soon they move on to more difficult tasks depends on their motor skills3. If they have more controlled motor skills, then it might be time to give them tasks in the 6-7 age range, if not, then allow them to continue working on the easier tasks as they work to improve their motor skills. This is to keep them safe while supporting them with their growth and development.
Age 6-7 and Up. At this age, kids typically have refined motor skills of both their large and small muscles so they’re able to take on more tasks in the kitchen. The kitchen tasks that they can begin mastering are using a blunt knife to dice and mince vegetables, deseed tomatoes and roasted peppers (try to avoid spicy pepper for now), peeling potatoes and other fruit and veggies, slicing and scooping out avocado (make sure you don’t use a knife to get the pit out, especially if you’re holding the avocado in your hand. I learned this the hard way!), grating cheese, zesting lemons and limes, using measuring cups and spoons, draining and slicing tofu, rinsing grains and beans, forming evenly sized cookies and patties, pouring liquids into small containers, and garnishing dishes to make them fancy3. This is also a great age to start teaching your child about food safety, and how to properly hold your hands while using a knife! You could also get your child involved in meal planning. Let them pick a recipe or two a week and you can work on making it together!
Age 8-9 and Up. Hopefully, by now, your child has mastered all of the easier skills and can move on to start to learn other tasks that involve sharper objects and heat! For example, they can open cans using a can opener, use a pizza cutter, slice bread, chop spicy peppers (latex gloves are a good option here!), scraping the bowl of an unplugged electric mixer bowl or food processor bowl (be careful of the blades!), scooping batter into muffin cups, putting leftovers away, pounding chicken with a meat tenderizer, proofing yeast, skewering food onto a kebab, and working at the stove (use your judgment as a parent/guardian and only allow this under adult supervision and if they are mature enough!)3.
Age 10-12 and Up. Starting around the age of 10, your child can start to learn the rest of the skills needed in order to prepare a meal in the kitchen! If they can properly use a dull knife to chop food, now let them use a chef’s knife! Just make sure to assess how careful they are when using sharp tools, heat, and food safety before you give them total independence.3 If your child is already older than this and hasn’t started learning these kitchen skills, don’t worry, it’s never too late to start learning how to cook! Just remember to go slow, practice safe cooking techniques, and make it a fun experience!
No matter the age, involving your children in the kitchen not only contributes to the development of crucial life skills — it’s also a fantastic opportunity to spend time together, try different flavors and connect as a family.
Recipe: Avocado, Tomato, and Mango Salsa5
This salsa is quick and easy to make, but is packed with delicious flavors, textures, and nutrients! This recipe is a great way to practice cutting, measuring, mixing, and taste testing skills! It is delicious served in a variety of ways including an appetizer with chips or over white fish, chicken, shrimp, a bed of brown rice, or tacos!
Ingredients:
1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced (I like to use roma tomatoes)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (leave a few seeds in if you want it spicy!)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ chopped red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving