A cooking video from Whole Foods touches on how cooking with kids can help fight childhood obesity.
I know, Whole Foods is a little bit controversial these days, but I thought this Cooking with Kids video was a really cool idea. Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is a powerful way to encourage them to try healthier foods. If they helped prepare something, they’ll feel a sense of ownership and at least want to probably give the dish a try.
As my husband and I talk about starting a family, how I’m going to feed my child is something that’s on my mind a lot, and I found this video really informative and heartening. I like that they touched on the problem of soda pop and juice (which is often just glorified sugar water), and that they stressed that you shouldn’t force any foods on your child, no matter how healthy the food is.
The first video below talks a bit about childhood obesity and more on how cooking with kids can address that issue, and the second video shows some healthy dishes that the kids made and their reactions as they taste them.
Not only will cooking with your kids help them eat healthier foods, it’s a great way to spend quality time with your children and teach them a vital life skill. I look back very fondly on the time I spent in the kitchen with my dad and grandmother.
Do you have a cooking hero that influenced your cooking and eating styles? I’d love to hear about your foodie role models in the comments!
Image Credit: Screenshot from the second video above.
cooking with kids shows them how to prepare healthy meals that they will actually eat! great idea!
One of my very favorite writers, Catherine Newman, has been writing for the past month or two now a column about cooking with her son Ben. It’s in a magazine for kids about cooking called Chop Chop. You would LOVE it, Becky, I think!
http://www.chopchopmag.org/blog/2011/05/17/cooking-ben-curried-tofu-fingers
http://www.chopchopmag.org/blog/2011/06/08/cooking-ben-ranch-dressing