Have Fun Cooking With Your Children - Teaching Children How to Cook

Healthy cooking is very important in total “eating plans”. I am a mom who juggle my time doing household chores, taking care and cooking. Most of moms worry a lot whether they are feeding their children the healthy foods,  whether their children are getting the proper nutrients recommended for their growing up needs.. You can do with enjoying cooking healthily with your children while cooking healthily with them children, aside form that you are also teaching them the values of healthy eating, preparing and healthily cooking foods.

Healthy cooking is making sure that foods are prepared and cook the healthiest way by minimizing fats, sodium and sweets and other bad additives and ingredients which are bad for our health. This hub will focus on steps on how to enjoy healthy cooking with your children.

• Eating healthy foods goes with the preparation of it. It is not enough that you choose the right healthy foods but you need to cook the foods healthily as well. In my kitchen, I usually do all the cooking for me and my children. My children also join me at times. It begin of course when they are younger, that they would tag at me even when I am in the kitchen, and they will ask you endless question about this and that in the kitchen.
• It is like shooting two birds with one stone, talking and enjoying moments with your children and teaching them the benefits of healthy cooking. Children learn much form their childhood and nice they learn the basic things in life, this becomes their guiding actions in their lives. They do alternate in helping me in the kitchen.
• I used a schedule and post it in the ref., I know it is fun because they are anticipating and waiting for their turns to help me in the kitchen. I do this with my kids during weekend only and summer plus vacation. The rest of the times,  I let them spend time relaxing, going to school and doing their homework.

Be careful with sharp objects like knives and to stay away from the heat of the oven and the cooker to avoid being burned or scalded. Children should always be guided when in the kitchen to avoid injuries.

Going with your kids to the supermarket

Cooking healthily involves picking the right food for healthy planning of your meals and get your children to plan with you. Make a list before you go to supermarket, your own list. Explain to them the value of budgeting so that they will appreciate it as well.

• First step is to enjoin your kids to go and accompany you to supermarkets and groceries, now when you are at the supermarket, go to the “natural foods section” -- vegetables and fruits section with them and let them pick what they want there, but you need to guide them as they choose natural foods -- eggs, vegetables , fruits, meat and fish section if they have one, if not you can choose to go to farmers market. I am lucky here because there is a farmers market nearby and I can buy fish at the "fish section" with my children.
• Normally children would like colorful fruits and vegetables, the more colorful they are the better for them, then guide them and tell them what it does for them sometimes telling them stories about healthy foods and that these foods make them smarter and healthier. Beside what they pick, you will help them with the amount of each vegetable you going to buy.

Then after buying stuff, the child can pick something that she likes, a child is also entitled to some sweets once in awhile.

1. It is essential that you teach them how to wash vegetables, poultry, meat and fish before cooking it.
2. Do not let them cut the vegetables or other foods alone. Usually, there is a vegetable cutter available and they can help you with it. Avoid sharp things and object and think of their safety. Buy a "child friendly" vegetable cutter. make the vegetables not small or big enough so that when you cook them they are still crispy.
3. Don't overcook vegetables as the nutrients is lessened when it is overcooked.
4. Use a wok for frying as oil is absorbed more and the oil will not stick to the veggies.
5. I love to cook stir fry with my children. According to America Heart Association (AHA) stir fry is a good food for the entire family, you just need to use oil like vegetable or olive oil and use small amount only and then make sure you stir it while frying in the pan and it should be hot. Now this is your job not your child’s job, she/he may just look at you while you do this.At times, I notice that some “dripping fats” are left in the pan when you fry a “piece of pork” rather than cook with oil, boil it, then throw the water and then use a grill for cooking so that the meat will not be submerged in fat.
6. Using and choosing Oil for cooking -- Put a little amount of oil to the wok and be sure to use canola, sunflower, soybean oil always instead of butter or lard for frying chicken and fish, fried rice, stir fry or sauté veggies, pancakes and waffles.
7. The sodium should be half than what is recommended or avoid sodium at all. In lieu of sodium you can also use herbals , it is safer, I buy herbal at Asian store here in the US.
8. Avoid artificial products like junk foods, chips, canned foods as they are really rich in sodium, even the pickles which are preserved are salty and have lots of preservatives. Natural is best.
9. Avoid foods with artificial sweeteners and generally avoid food with high sugar content.Use a wok for frying as oil is absorbed more and the oil will not stick to the veggies.
10. When you bake, use Low-fat 1%, fat-free skimmed milk instead of the whole milk
11. When baking I learned that the egg yolk can be substitute for egg whites. When you bake and egg is needed, put white eggs instead of the yolk as egg whites are rich in cholesterol level
12. Avoid frying meat, chicken and fish with oil just grill them.
13. If you buy lean meat and poultry according to American Heart Association it is better to buy it without skin, as the fats are already removed from the skin.