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Column: Getting kids into the kitchen

Your kids may be able to do more in the kitchen than you might think
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Serena Caner, registered dietician

March is Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is: “Unlock the Potential of Food.”

Food can enhance lives and improve health, but you need to learn how to enjoy eating a wide variety of nutritious foods. The best way is to start when you are young. Kids are more likely to eat something if they have helped make it. It boosts their willingness to try new foods and decreases mealtime battles. Spring Break is a time where there is more time and space in families’ schedules, creating a great opportunity to involve your kids in the kitchen.

What can my child do?

Here’s a guideline of kitchen skills based on age:

• 2-3 year olds can wash vegetables and fruit or tear lettuce and salad greens (be warned that toddlers will want “to do it myself”, so have a plan. Cooking sessions may end in tantrums about not being allowed to use the big knife. Distracting them with another appealing task works sometimes.)

• 3-4 year olds can mash potatoes, mix together batters and cut bananas or soft foods with a plastic or butter knife (You can also have them practice with play dough)

• 4-6 year olds can measure dry and liquid ingredients, cut soft foods with a paring knife with supervision, crack eggs or set the table (Note: When to allow your child to use a knife, and what type of knife, is a personal choice and may depend on the child and your own skill and comfort level with knives. Two good websites to refer to is https://www.eatyourbeets.com/kitchen-tips/7-tips-for-teaching-your-kids-how-to-use-a-knife/ or https://www.superhealthykids.com/child-use-knife/ )

• 6-8 year olds can make a salad, flip pancakes, bake muffins or help with dishes.

• 8-12 year olds can cut harder vegetables with a larger knife, make their own school lunch or a simple meal

Teens can follow more complicated recipes or assemble and mix most ingredients. They can also be in charge of making one meal per week.

Teaching kids to cook requires patience and attention Remember to keep it fun and be cool about the mess. Just like any other life skill, it takes time to get good at cooking.

-Serena Caner is a registered dietitian who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.