Kids can find fun and happiness cooking in the kitchen and growing food in the garden. With all the violence in TV, movies, and electronic games and all the commercials promoting junk food, parents struggle to show kids a healthier lifestyle. American Academy of Pediatrics advise limiting kids’ screen time to less than two hours a day. Fast food and processed convenience foods have resulted in a major health crisis in America and are more expensive than a healthy home cooked meal.
Get kids in the kitchen, toddlers to teens; kids can help measure, pour, whisk, mash, slice, and grate ingredients. Many kids don’t know where their food comes from until they go to a working farm or visit the Farmers Market. Starting an organic veggie garden in pots or raised beds at home or school, kids learn about the connection they have with nature and their food. Kids can wash and dry the fruits, veggies, herbs, and greens they have picked in the garden. Kids can assemble sandwiches, toss salads, stir the pots, and keep food from burning. Older kids can follow recipes and prepare entire meals. When kids help prepare their meals and snacks, they are more likely to eat healthy and enjoy it. Cooking gives kids a feeling of accomplishment, creating a meal their family enjoys. Kids can set the table, choose quiet dinner music, and make a centerpiece of fruit and flowers. Kids love having candles on the table to set a peaceful mood and enjoy the dinner they helped to create with their family.
Cooking Magic for Kids 