Kids Cooking: Expert Advice
February 2, 2009
Harriet Worobey, at Rutgers University, directs the only nutritional sciences preschool in the country. And boy, does she have lots of great advice.
"I encourage parents to start young to have kids help," she says. Small children can help set the table and clean up. "That way the child is invested." For food prep, plastic knives and cookie cutters make great tools. With kids who are fussy about fruit, smoothies can be a good option. ("What is more fun than pushing the buttons on the mixer?")
When it comes time to serve the meal, she suggests serving family-style, with utensils that children can handle, so they can take as little or as much as they want. "Parents are fixated on making the plate up ahead of time. They don't understand how small children's stomachs are."
She advises parents that, when kids are young, it may take more time and effort to have them "help" than to do it yourself. "But if children are comfortable in the kitchen, when they're 13 and 14 and you're late getting home, they'll be making supper for you!"
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
