Cooking With Kids: Healthy Eating Starts in the Kitchen


 Posted by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training  0 Comment

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Cooking can instill a sense of pride in kids.

Kids love to cook and, given the chance, they like to spend time playing around in the kitchen. And, why not?

Cooking is creative, messy and fun, and it tickles all the senses. On top of that, your efforts are rewarded with something that’s (hopefully) delicious to eat. And cooking can deliver some additional benefits as well. Spending time in the kitchen can help kids develop an appreciation for healthy foods, and foster better eating habits, too.

The significance of this really shouldn’t be overlooked. In the last few decades, obesity and overweight rates among American kids have risen dramatically. This is a reflection, in part, on a diet that includes too many calories and nutrient-poor foods, and too little in the way of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich dairy products.

Meals eaten away from home are higher in calories, fat and saturated fat, and they provide less calcium and fiber than home-prepared meals. On the other hand, eating more meals at home is associated with a higher intake of fruits, vegetables and dairy products with less fat and calories. So, grab the kids and make home cooking meals a new tradition.

Cooking with Kids: The Many Benefits

  • Cooking at home and eating together helps kids develop an appreciation for healthy foods. Parents can serve as good role models with their food choices, so kids will develop a similar appreciation for healthy foods. And the comfortable, supportive environment of home helps to reinforce these healthy behaviors.
  • Kids enjoy eating what they’ve prepared. When kids are involved in the selection of ingredients and preparation of foods, they’re more likely to try their creations.
  • They’re more likely to try new foods. Even if kids decide that they don’t particularly like what they prepared, the cooking experience will help to cultivate an open mind when it comes to trying new foods.
  • Kids derive a sense of pride and independence when they cook. Kids love to boast that “I did it all myself!” When they’re able to prepare something on their own, no matter how simple, and then serve it to family, it instills a sense of pride and independence. Help your kids by guiding them toward age-appropriate recipes.
  • Cooking is creative. Once kids have some basic skills and learn to follow recipes, they should be encouraged to get creative. You can start with a simple basic recipe. For example, try a smoothie made with flavored protein powder and milk, and allow them to experiment by adding different fruits, vegetables, spices or extracts. Once they’ve come up with their own recipes, many kids enjoy creating their own recipe file.
  • Cooking together can be fun quality time. Many kids don’t need much coaxing to join you in the kitchen, so use this time to simply enjoy each other’s company and talk about how good – and good for you – their meal is going to be.
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Susan is the Senior Director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife, where she is responsible for the development of nutrition education and training materials, and is one of the primary authors of the Herbalife-sponsored blog, www.discovergoodnutrition.com. She is a Registered Dietitian and holds two Board Certifications from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, and a Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management. Susan is also a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Susan graduated with distinction in biology from the University of Colorado, and received her master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Colorado State University. She then completed her dietetic internship at the University of Kansas. Susan has taught extensively and developed educational programs targeted to individuals, groups and industry in her areas of expertise, including health promotion, weight management and sports nutrition. Prior to her role at Herbalife, she was the assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, and has held appointments as adjunct professor in nutrition at Pepperdine University and as lecturer in nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Susan was a consultant to the (then) Los Angeles Raiders for six seasons, and was a contributing columnist for the Los Angeles Times Health Section for two years. She is a co-author of 23 research papers, 14 book chapters, and was a co-author of two books for the public: “What Color is Your Diet?” and “The L.A. Shape Diet” by Dr. David Heber, published by Harper Collins in 2001 and 2004, respectively.