Cooking with your kids is a great way to bond with them.
On top of teaching them basic food preparation skills, teaching your kids to cook will lay an important foundation to healthy eating and self-sustainability.
It’s for this reason we’ve devised this list of fun cooking activities you can try with your kids.
Got any others? Feel free to share in the comments below!
1. Smoothie
On average, children who have breakfast have better school performance than those who don’t. And because children are always more interested in highly engaging activities, making smoothies with them is a great way to show them that it’s sometimes ok play with your food...Especially when health is involved.
The ingredients for a basic smoothie are:
- A frozen banana
- 1 cup of soy milk
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
Pour all of the ingredients into a blender & blend to a smooth paste.
Fruity Pizza
Image Source: Pinch of Yum
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of assorted fruits
- 4 tablespoons of peanut butter (Or alternatives like Almond Butter, Cream Cheese or Mascarpone).
- 2 slices of pita bread from whole wheat
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to a broil.
- Split the pitas into two halves and toast lightly until crispy.
- Spread peanut butter on the warm toasted pitas.
- Decorate with assorted fruits as toppings.
3. French Toast Made With Bananas Instead of Bread
Image Source: Genius Kitchen
Ingredients:
- Cooking spray
- ½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- A ¼ cup of milk with low fat content
- 4 bread slices
- 2 sliced bananas
Preparation:
- Spray a medium-sized skillet is sprayed with the cooking spray and put on medium to low heat.
- Mix the eggs together with the milk, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Dip bread slice in the mixture and turn to allow coating.
- Cook until both sides of the bread turn golden-brown.
- Cut the golden-brown bread into desired shapes and use sliced bananas to top.
4. Yogurt Parfait
This is another fun snack idea that you and your kids will enjoy making together. Your kids will enjoy choosing their own selection of fruits and nuts, and layering them one by one.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of plain yogurt
- ½ cup of shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
- Fruits (we recommend berries)
- Nuts
Preparation:
- Use a small bowl to mix vanilla extract, yogurt.
- Top with assorted chopped fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.
5. Turkey Club Wrap
Image Source: Simple Most
Ingredients:
- Cucumber strips
- Hummus
- Shredded carrots
- Spinach leaves
- Halved tortillas
Prep:
- Spread hummus on the tortillas, followed by carrots and cucumbers.
- Top off with the spinach leaves.
- Roll up tortillas and enjoy.
6. French Fry Alternatives
Image Source: Momtastic
This list of french fry alternatives will give you a few new dishes your kids are sure to enjoy.
There are a few types, including:
- Parmesan Encrusted Zucchini Fries
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Ranch Portabella Mushroom Fries
- Avocado Fries
- Zucchini Fries
- Sesame Tofu Stick Fries
Simply slice the desired vegetable, place on a tray, drizzle with oil and bake on 400F until brown and crispy. Season with salt.
7. Broccoli Salad
Image Source: Mommypotamus
This recipe will make it easy for your kids to want to eat their veggies.
It includes broccoli, seedless grapes, sunflower seeds, cheddar cheese and more.
For another broccoli recipe try this recipe below:
Ingredients:
- Minced garlic cloves and ginger
- Olive oil
- Florets of broccoli heads
- Water
- Oranges, seeded and sectioned oranges
- Soy sauce (Low sodium)
Directions:
- Heat a pan over either high or medium heat.
- Fry olive oil, garlic and ginger until they are fragrant.
- Add broccoli.
- Cover pan is covered until everything is crispy and tender.
- Stir orange slices into the soy sauce.
- Add to pan and cooking continues until everything is thoroughly heated.
8. Cucumber Mango Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 limes (juiced)
- Honey
- Assorted fruits and vegetables (Strawberries, mangoes, cucumbers, etc)
- Chopped cilantro
- Salt for taste
Prep:
- Whisk honey, lime juice and zest in a big bowl.
- Add cilantro, chopped fruits and vegetables
- Top with the dressing
These are just a few cooking activities that you can enjoy with your kids.
Remember that activities that are customizable are more likely to be engaging for them. If they can play with their food and turn it into an animal, or watch the ingredients swirl into a rainbow of motion, your kids will love it!
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