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Parenting tips tagged meal preparation ✕
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When you are bringing home a newborn, remember - you won't have time to cook! Pre-prepare batches of meals before baby is born that you can freeze and heat for quickly on the go!
Save the tray from a kid's TV dinner. Refill with your child's favorites and freeze for a last minute meal.
When making pizza as a family, let your children cut out shapes in the dough with cookie cutters and assemble the toppings onto the shapes.
Keep young children entertained while you cook by giving them their own drawer in the kitchen filled with utensils they can play with such as wooden spoons, whisks and plastic bowls.
If your children are picky eaters, get them involved in meal preparation. Children are more likely to eat food they help to prepare.
During summer break, have each child be in charge of one meal a week. They will help decide on the food, make the grocery list and depending on age, also help prepare the meal.
Have children help prepare meals. Give them more difficult tasks as they grow older. They will appreciate all they have learned once it is time to leave home.
When involving your children in the food preparation process, bring everything down to their level so they can easily reach items. Also, use a larger bowl than necessary to help avoid spills when stirring ingredients together.
When preparing meals for your family, cook and serve foods in a variety of ways (grilled, baked, roasted, raw, etc.). Your children may find they actually like a food item cooked or served a certain way that they previously did not enjoy.
Crank the tunes while cooking dinner as a family. Dinner prep dance parties increase serotonin and put everyone in a good mood before eating. It just might help get those Brussels sprouts eaten.
Encourage your children to help with food preparation. Young children can wash produce and stir ingredients together, while older children can measure ingredients and chop produce under close adult supervision. Children are more likely to try something new if they are involved making it.
Avoid preparing separate “kid food” (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc.) and “adult food.” You are not a short order cook. Make one meal that everyone eats. The children will see the adults enjoying the meal and will learn to enjoy it themselves.
Once your children are old enough to set the table, keep plates, bowls, cups, and utensils in a cupboard or drawer at their level so they can easily help out.
Share family stories and memories when cooking favorite recipes with your children. Providing a history or tradition with the recipe will make eating the dish more special.
Use cookie cutters to make sandwiches, fruits and vegetable more fun for your children. A dinosaur shaped sandwich is way more fun than a regular sandwich.
Make a salad more fun by allowing your children to pick their favorite meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and cheeses to add to it.