Cooking together gives families a fun way to hit pause on the business of their days to connect and create something to be enjoyed together.
Cooking together can be a regular family activity, like make your own pizza night or pasta night, something the whole family looks forward to and actively participates in.
Children are more willing to try new foods they help prepare, and they feel good about doing something grown up. This is a good way to introduce a new vegetable to your children’s diet.
Cooking together is also a learning time for children. They learn soft skills, like communication, problem solving, planning, and teamwork. In addition, cooking teaches practical skills, like following a recipe, measuring ingredients, and food prep, and cooking techniques like boiling, sautéing, broiling, steaming. They learn to set the table, and the all-important cleaning up.
Children used to learn cooking skills in school when home economics and life skills classes were offered. Cooking is a valuable skill that children need as they grow into teens and adults to prepare them for healthy living.
The websites AllRecipes.com and CookingLight.com have many family friendly recipes that your family is sure to enjoy preparing together.
This is Sharon Moore with Church Health.