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Help
kids get a head start in the kitchen
April 21, 05
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Kids can cook, and they love to if given the
chance.
Since kids are more likely to eat what they’ve had a
hand in making, teaching them to cook at an early age can
help them adopt healthy eating habits they’ll carry
into adulthood.
There are other benefits, too. Among them:
* Learning to cook fosters independence and boosts confidence
and self-esteem.
* Cooking develops math skills by counting, measuring, doing
things in order and keeping time.
* Working with recipes in the company of an adult helps kids
understand how to work cooperatively and follow directions.
* Measuring, pouring, and stirring ingredients develop eye-hand
coordination and can even increase arm strength.
* Cooking teaches patience and self-control. Having to do
the work before you can lick the beaters or bowl and waiting
for cookies to cool before tasting them are the kinds of lessons
kids learn.
* Learning to cook can make kids more receptive to a wider
range of healthful foods than they might otherwise be willing
to try.
Plus, cooking is just plain fun. What kid doesn’t like
to get his or her hands into a ball of dough? Cooking can
require kneading, pulling, and rolling dough, tearing lettuce
leaves, snapping peas, shucking corn, breaking pasta into
smaller pieces – hands-on tasks that appeal to most
kids. Electric mixers, blenders and food processors can be
exciting to see in action, too.
Good recipes to start with have short ingredients lists and
a few simple steps. Kid favorites: pancakes and waffles, quick
breads, drop cookies, fruit salad, green salads, muffins,
soup, bagel pizzas, chili, burritos, steamed rice, casseroles,
coleslaw and potato salad, applesauce and smoothies.
Cooking with kids is an opportunity to teach the value of
preparation, too. Make it a habit to pull hair back, strap
on an apron, wash hands, read the entire recipe through, and
assemble all of the ingredients and equipment you’ll
need before starting. Putting things away as you use them
and wiping down the counter and stovetop as you go make cleanup
at the end much easier, too.
While you’re at it, don’t forget the safety lessons:
* Never leave a kid alone in the kitchen unattended.
* Kids should wear short sleeves while cooking. Long, loose
sleeves can dip into food, get caught on equipment or catch
on fire.
* Keep a fire extinguisher on hand. Kids should be taught
fire safety rules including stop, drop and roll.
* Don’t let kids stand on stools or chairs to reach
the countertop. Seat small children at the kitchen table to
work if they’re too young to reach the counter while
standing.
* Turn panhandles toward the middle or back of the stove.
If they’re sticking out from the front, they’re
easy to bump or catch on clothing, causing a spill that could
burn.
* Older kids should use a potholder or mitt to remove hot
foods from the stove, oven or microwave (young children need
an adult to do it for them). Take care to lift lids off pans
so that the steam rises away from the face, not toward it.
* Take care with knives, graters and vegetable peelers. Young
children should cut only with dinner knives and plastic ware.
* Keep fingers out of garbage disposals. Unplug blenders and
food processors when not in use and be mindful of their sharp
blades.
With a little effort and planning, some fun times in the kitchen
can begin equipping kids with skills they’ll use for
the rest of their lives.
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