One of the keys to teaching children healthy eating habits
is to start early. This can be done by getting kids in the kitchen and teaching
them how to cook. Start involving your children at age 5-6. Kids will be more
likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods if they have a part in making
them. Most children will find cooking fun and will want to be in the kitchen
with you. A consequence of cooking will be that they do better in math and
reading, have more confidence and you will be spending some quality time together.
Plus, they will be learning skills they can use for the rest of their lives.
If you want your children to be healthy, you need to be
healthy yourself. Children imitate what the people around them are doing. If
you eat vegetables so will your children. Start at an early age by offering a
wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If you start them early, they will want
to eat them as they get older. This is also true for cooking. If kids see you in the kitchen cooking, they
will naturally want to cook with you. This is a great way to teach them about
where food comes from, how to prepare it, and the best things to eat. Be sure
to pick a time when you are not in a hurry and you can take your time to teach
them. Always use kid friendly recipes that are easy to prepare. A child will
most likely get bored if their meal takes too long.
Give them simple tasks which do not require any sharp knives
and doesn’t involve cooking on a burner. For example, they can wash the fruits
and vegetables for the meal. Use this opportunity to teach them about food
safety. They can snap the ends off of green beans or measure ingredients using
plastic measuring cups and spoons. This is also a great opportunity to teach
them about basic math such as addition and subtraction. You can also have them
read the recipe while you are making it together. This will help to improve
their reading skills and they will progress in school easier. They will love helping
you and you will hear all about their day and how they feel.
When they are able, you can teach them how to prepare simple
snack items. This will enable them to make their own food when they are hungry.
There are so many simple snacks that you can teach your children to prepare. Keep
it healthy, such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or fruit with a cheese
stick.
After the preparation is complete, they can help you clean
up the dirty dishes. This is also a great teaching opportunity. Kids will learn to clean up after themselves
and will have these skills when they are older. Getting them to clean when they
are young, instead of watching TV or playing video games while others are
working, is a great way to teach a positive work ethic and self sufficiency.
