Do your kids help you out in the kitchen? In our household we have established a system where everyone helps out to get dinner on the table. Whether it is setting the table, cleaning up, chopping veggies or actually preparing the meal; we all contribute. Everyone is so used to it; it’s not a point of discussion anymore. So today I am sharing with you why kids should help out in the kitchen.
Let’s be honest, why shouldn’t everyone be involved right? We all eat the meal, so we should all partake. But I have found other reasons as important. Let me tell you..
The benefits of kids helping out in the kitchen
Exposure to different foods
I think the best thing about kids helping out in the kitchen is, their exposure to food preparation. Once my kids got interested in helping in the kitchen, they were also more willing to try new food out;
And when you help out in the kitchen, you see how things are made and/or what they are made of. My kids never wanted to eat stir fried vegetables, ‘I don’t like all these vegetables!’, until I showed them how I make their favorite pasta sauce; I blend all these different roasted vegetables into a smooth sauce. The sauce they love so much! Reluctantly at first, they started trying different types of vegetables (mixed together! What is it with kids and not wanting to eat mixed food?). This is just one of the ways how I got my kids to eat their veggies;
Keeping them occupied before dinner
A totally other reason why I started to give them chores in the kitchen, was to keep them occupied. Keeping them busy gave them less time to whine. When they are bored and already a bit hungry, they are likely to melt down. A meltdown just before dinner when you are busy preparing dinner… It has helped me a lot to give them jobs in the kitchen. I tell them I can’t do it all alone and that they are in charge of these important jobs. That did the trick!
Family bonding
All of us helping out to get dinner on the table, makes us bond as a family; huddled in the kitchen together we talk about everything. We keep it light, but we discuss many topics; how our day was, fun stuff that happened at school, but also the things they have difficulties with like arguments with friends, being left out or sharing your toys with others;
Create interest in food and food preparation
Now that mine are a bit older (8 and 10), I involve them as well in the menu planning. Usually I decide what we’ll have for our weekday meals over the weekend. When they help me out and give me suggestions, I have noticed they are more likely to eat the other things as well. For example if they ask me to put french fries on the menu, I say: ‘Ok, but I will serve it with broccoli or a salad’ and they accept it (more willingly than when I just serve the broccoli or salad). And the bonus is, they learn about meal planning and what a meal should consist of. WIN!
Dinner will be on the table quicker!
Once a routine has been established and everyone knows what to do, dinner will be on the table quicker. Another win!!
Our 10 favorite meals to prepare together are
There are so many more, but these are our current favorite recipes we make together. There is always something they can help out with, but they really enjoy helping me with these (and eat them!):
- (zucchini) noodles over oven roasted tomato sauce;
- sweet and sour shrimp over brown rice;
- veggie summer rolls;
- tropical tuna poke bowls;
- family friendly tikka masala with some naan bread on the side;
- vegan meatballs with mashed potatoes;
- Lentil bolognese;
- Chicken cherry tomato orzo;
- Fish filet with passionfruit sauce;
- Chicken skewers with peanut sauce and Gado Gado veggies.
And of course we like to bake together as well! In baking with kids, I have shared our favorite baking-together recipes.
Let me know how you do. Have my tips been useful? Are you still struggling? Leave a comment and I will answer your question. Tag pictures of your kids helping out in the kitchen @familicious.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #familicious and #kidshelpingoutinthekitchen. Sharing is caring!
Not only do I post family friendly, wholesome, quick & easy recipes I also write informational blog posts, like this one. The 2 main ingredients are always family and food. Got you curious? You can check them all out here. You can also find us on Facebook and Pinterest.
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