Power in Little Hands Prepping

Do you have a picky eater on your hands?  One who pushes away the green veggies or sneaks handfuls of food to the dog at dinner time?  It can be both concerning and frustrating when your little one refuses to eat certain foods (especially if they have never tried it before).

Luckily, my four year old is not too picky, but there are times when she turns her nose up at an unfamiliar food. A possible way to help your child through this is to involve them in the preparation of  meals.  Having your little one on deck to prepare food can:

• inspire curiosity
• create an opportunity for exploration and learning 
• teach them responsibility
• create an opportunity for quality time
• create a sense of accomplishment for your child 

These are simply a few of the benefits to involving your little ones in meal preparation.  Make it fun for them by setting the atmosphere; make sure everyone washes their hands, turn off the t.v., put on some fun music, talk about their day, let them help wash off veggies/fruits. 

Talk with them about what  you will be preparing/cooking and have them name and describe the uniqueness of the foods you're handling (colors, textures, shapes, etc.).  Talk to them about how the food is grown, where it comes from and then as you're preparing/cooking the food, talk through the steps with them. 

If you're preparing cold or room temperature foods, such as salads and sandwiches, allow your child to do as much of the work as possible (of course, you will have to use discretion and for safety reasons, you will want to handle tasks that involve sharp objects such as knives and scissors). For meals that require the use of a stove/oven, after preparation, allow your child to observe and depending on the temperature of the foods, help with plating the cooked food (as well as setting the table while the food is cooking). 

My little one has been helping me out in the kitchen on Sundays when I prepare our meals for the first few days of the week.  She seems to enjoy it and gets really excited to look at the final product of her hard work. She asks lots of questions, observes and wants to be hands on as much as possible.  She has been more open to eating a variety of salads since she began helping out.

Give it a try in your home.  You and your family will find it to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience in many ways.  Don't worry about messes; they can help you with a little of the cleaning as well. 😀

Hope this inspired you.  Here's to a healthy and happy family!