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Vegetables for the Kids

© Michael Vyskocil

Is this a familiar scene in your home? You walk into the kitchen, open your refrigerator, and turn around just in time to see one of your children standing behind you? As though prompted by some unwritten law of nature, kids know to call upon Mom or Dad just when dinner preparations are about to begin. Before you turn them away consider this: Cooking is actually a pleasant chore for the entire family. The simple act of preparing a meal with your children can foster natural conversation and interactions with your children. Besides, most children like cooking because of its reward -- something tasty to eat. Just like learning to tie shoelaces, learning to cook is an invaluable life skill. Remember, children don't stay young forever; one day they'll need to prepare meals for themselves.

It's best to help your children learn to cook by choosing dishes that don't demand precise measuring or complex cooking instructions. Soup is a natural introduction: Washing vegetables, sprinkling seasonings and stirring the soup are suitable tasks for kids. If your summer vegetable garden is producing a crop of edibles waiting to be picked, well that's another excellent chore for children. Before beginning, however, it's best to know your child's abilities in the kitchen prior to assigning tasks. Children ages 4 to 5 can comfortably handle some kitchen utensils and perform simple preparation tasks. Monitor your child in the kitchen, and don't discourage him or her from trying something new. No matter what your child's abilities may be, never allow him or her in the kitchen without your supervision.

As you work together in the kitchen, you may feel like you should be the schoolteacher --carefully following instructions and accurately measuring every ingredient. Don't make cooking into a school subject for your child. Children get the most out of a cooking lesson when they're allowed to feel the smoothness of the pizza dough beneath their fingertips, toss vegetables and lettuce together to make salad, and notice when sauteed onions are too brown or bread is left too long in the toaster. Children like to experience every aspect of the cooking process -- sights, sounds, flavors and aromas.

Below are two easy recipes that you can make together with your children. Both are great and easy to prepare this time of year, since they use summer vegetables. Why not let your child help you with dinner tonight? You'll not only be giving your child a healthy meal, but you'll also be giving him or her cooking skills to last a lifetime.