If you are searching for children activities, then cooking with kids is a fantastic option. You might be surprised to know that kids love trying out easy recipes in the kitchen and poking around with the cookery. If you can teach your kids to cook healthy dishes then this good habit would stay with them even when they grow up. Let us have a look at the benefits of cooking with kids and the importance of telling them- “Let’s do it together!”’
1. Instilling good habits- Kids are very impressionable and anything which is taught at this age remains ingrained in their lifestyle for the rest of their lives. Hence it is imperative that you teach your kid to cook nutritious and healthy food at an early age, because afterwards they would be subject to temptations of junk and fast foods. If you want to instill sound habits in your kids, this stage is ideal.
2. Boosting of self-esteem- When a child finds that he/she is accomplishing a task successfully, his/her self-esteem gets boosted. Kids want to contribute in their own small way to their families and in this way they feel that they are doing something worthwhile.
3. Passing of family values and tradition- When you spend quality time with your kids, the family bonding becomes stronger. These priceless moments would remain etched in their minds forever. Later when they grow up or become old, they would pass on the things leant to the next generation.
4. Teaching practical lessons in math, science, language and creativity- A kid would learn to count, measure, sort and work with fractional quantities, which would strengthen their fundamentals in math. The initial experience of experimenting with various combinations and proportions of ingredients is an integral part of learning science. When the kid is taught to read a certain recipe or to categorically write down a list of ingredients that need to be bought, he/she is imparted language training. Improvising and fine–tuning require imagination and creativity and those are also brought into play when a kid learns to cook.
5. Making them self-reliant- It is observed that many grown-up individuals find it hard to live outside their homes, as they do not know how to prepare even the basic recipes. Cooking with kids would easily address this issue and your kids would face no hassles when they grow up.
6. Teaching teamwork- If you teach your kids how to cook, participate actively with them and bring some of their close friends along, they would learn teamwork very easily. They would learn the tasks of assigning and taking work. Sharing the workload and co-operating with others are extremely important in successful teamwork. When your kids interact freely with their friends, their communication skills also improve and initial shyness which is present in many kids also gets dissipated.
Hence, whenever you find some quality time to spend with your kids, ask them to come to the kitchen and notice the elation on their faces when you shout- - “Let’s do it together!”
Minerals and vitamins are often not found in adequate quantities in the various food items and hence attention should be paid to ensure that these elements are available in the top 10 diets/recipes for kids that you are going to give.
Families sometimes face problems providing these to their kids as kids can be sometimes very fussy and choosy about foods which they like to eat. Hence the clever approach would be to incorporate such items which the kids find tasty and are also nutritious for their all-round development.
1. Meat- This is a food item which is a rich source of protein and also Vitamin B. Apart from these valuable elements like copper, niacin, and iron are also present in it. To have a balanced and healthy meal you can prepare a tasty mix of vegetable stew and meat. Now and then you can allow children to have hamburgers, but that should be within limits. Grilling and barbequing are two safe methods of preparing meat along with green vegetables.
2. Eggs- Eggs can be used in various delicious dishes, and kids simply love to gorge on them. Proteins, vitamins and minerals are all present in this wonderful item and this should definitely be in the list of top 10 diets for kids.
3. Milk- Many kids do not want to consume milk directly. For them an innovative way of providing milk would be by giving them delicious milk shakes, custards, yoghurts, etc., which contain fruits as well as milk. You can find many useful minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates in milk.
4. Berries- Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are all highly nutritious items. These wonderful berries contain Vitamin C, potassium, fibers, carbohydrates, and important anti-oxidants which powerfully fight against the harmful free radicals. Children as well as kids love to have strawberries in various preparations You can give strawberries mixed with yoghurt or with whole-grain flakes.
5. Tuna fish- This fish should definitely be included in the top 10 diets for kids. Apart from containing niacin, protein, Vitamin B, zinc and iron, this fish contains extremely vital omega-3 oils. The benefits of this oil are slowly being revealed. But one needs to be cautious about the quantity of this fish consumed as mercury levels can elevate due to excess intake. These fishes also taste great with salads.
6. Yoghurt – Kids simply love to eat this and hence one should not forget to include this item in the top 10 diets for kids. Being a good source of calcium, protein, carbohydrates, Vitamin B, phosphor and zinc you can easily have a delicious and nutritious preparation with fresh fruits.
7. Cheese- This is another extremely delicious and healthy item. Cheese can be used as salad toppings or for garnishing certain vegetables. Kids also adore having cheese sandwiches. This item contains plenty of calcium, Vitamin B12, Protein and also phosphor. One should be careful of providing cheese in moderate amounts because of its fat content.
8. Whole grains- Very nutritious and delectable recipes can be cooked with these when one applies a bit of resourcefulness. This item must be included in the list of top 10 diets for kids.
9. Broccoli- It is a highly fibrous vegetable and is ideal for kids. If your kids are fond of broccoli, fry it with low oil or stew it to prepare a tasty dish.
10. Sweet potatoes- These vegetables are naturally sweet and lot of kids love having this item. It is again a rich source of fiber, Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin A, Iron and Calcium.
For many moms getting hold of a kid friendly cooking guide is a matter of great consternation. Kids have their distinctive choices and preferences and can be sometimes quite finicky in this regard. So you have to prepare recipes for kids that are loveable to eat and which would also be beneficial from the point of health. In this kid friendly cooking guide you are provided with some recipes which are tasty as well as nutritious.
1. 2 whole grain crackers, string cheese and V8 juice (1 can) - Before buying your crackers be sure to read the labels on them. Lot of brands claim to have a good percentage of whole grains but that is not actually true. Ak-Mak and Wasa are two brands which are quite reputed in this regard.
2. Hard-boiled/ stuffed egg-devil – Kids simply love to have this item. If you can churn up this dish properly, kids would just keep on eating. This recipe is also not overloaded with sugars or fats.
3. Tuna Salad along with Lettuce Rolls – You can prepare a big bowl of this preparation with 6/7 packages of tuna. If you are not so fond of tuna, chicken can be used as an alternative. While preparing this dish, use oil instead of water. The preparation would be tasty and mayo required would also be less. You can then add celery, which should be finely chopped. Add a bit of black pepper and mayo. With this you can also add shallot or minced garlic. Now after your salad is ready, roll it within lettuce leaf or serve it as a spreading on whole-wheat crackers. You now have found another delicious dish in your kid friendly cooking guide.
4. Celery sticks with Peanut Butter- Another recipe that is easy to prepare and should be a part of your kid friendly cooking guide. You can also get this in ready-packs with the regular variety of peanut butter. This recipe provides you with lot of fibers and protein and your kids would also feel satiated after having this.
5. Ham filled with cream cheese and half-cup applesauce – Be cautious to take meat which is free of additives (nitrate). Also the apple juice used should be unsweetened to ensure that your kids are consuming healthy food. Your kids would adore this extremely delicious recipe.
6. Vegetables along with Hummus – Hummus is a fantastic snack because of its capability of satiating the dipping desires of kids. You can make your customized preparation at home. You can also procure hummus from stores and different flavors are available. Cedar farms and Tribe are quite renowned in this field. If you want to know what to dip that in, there are many options available. You can easily use pita for the purpose of dipping.
7. Nuts and seeds- There are so many varieties that are available and these do not require any preparation. Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, etc. are all available to constitute a delicious food item in your kid friendly cooking guide.
Healthy friendly recipes for kids are the need of the hour as more children across the globe tend towards obesity, stemming from poor eating habits and inactivity.
You can give your kids what they like to eat, yummy foods that are delicious and healthy. Teaching a child to eat healthy from the start will avoid a lot of problems later on as the child grows. Overweight children tend to have medical issues involving the heart and blood pressure and then there is the psychological factor as well, overweight children get bullied and mocked. You can prevent all of this as a parent by making sure your child eats the right kinds of nutritious food and leads an active life.
Parents can develop healthy eating patterns in children by being innovative and making use of some very healthy kid friendly recipes that use vegetables and proteins in combinations that provide for lower calorie, vitamin and mineral rich foods will teach a child to eat right and enjoy it. Whole grains are full of proteins but need to be served up as appealing fare to get children to eat the food and calcium rich foods are a must for the child’s bone development.
Busy work schedules and microwavable food have seriously affected the growing child’s overall growth and development, because bad eating habits make for nutrition less food. Parents tend to think that as the child grows these deficiencies can be made up for but that it is absolutely the wrong thinking. Right nutrition goes a very long way in making for a healthy child and the positive effects carry on into adulthood, helping defend against medical illnesses.
Children who are raised on nutritious foods adapt quickly to the food and don’t have any problem with eating it, but it is important to start them off right from the word go. Potato crisps are yummy but not nutritious, while fruit is tasty and good for a child. While it is true that it is far easier to whiz through the market picking up snacks and other munchies, it is well worth the time invested in shopping for healthy fruits and vegetables. Buy more fish, which is full of omega 3 fatty acids that are excellent for the body. Always check the child’s food pyramid for your food options and try as far as possible to stick to it.
Make sure your healthy kid friendly recipes include generous helpings of the daily recommended allowances of vitamins and minerals. You can get the vitamins and minerals chart to help you closely adhere to the necessary daily intake and make sure the food groups you buy cover all of them. Children who eat healthy, nutritious food seldom need vitamin supplements. Your pediatrician can help you make informed decisions about the food you give your child. Calcium, iron, zinc and fluoride, and vitamins A, C, D and K should be included in healthy does in the foods you feed your child.
There are several good books that you can buy, which provide healthy kid friendly recipes to help feed your child favorite foods that are healthy alternatives to high calorie diets.
