Welcome Kids in the Kitchen

Carrie Sullivan is the owner/chef of The Gathering Table, an interactive cooking class in Downtown Melbourne. She loves to share her passion for food by making gourmet meals fun and easy in a warm welcoming environment. Whether looking to pick up some new skills or just looking to have a unique dining experience, you're sure to find a menu that tantalizes your tastebuds. Learn more at gatheringtablefl.com

If your family is anything like ours, your plates are pretty full during the school year.

Summertime, on the other hand, is much more relaxed and schedule-free — the perfect time to get your kids into the kitchen and allow them to get creative and instill healthy habits. 

The first thing I always tell parents is that it’s ok if the dish doesn’t turn out perfectly or if the kitchen winds up a mess. Whether you have a picky eater or a teen who only wants to eat junk food, allowing your children to get their hands in the food is one of the best ways for them to try new things. 

Here are some ideas to allow their creative juices to flow.

• Pick a night each week that is theirs to choose a recipe for dinner that sounds good to them. Although most kids love to bake, encourage them to try savory recipes.  
• Take a queue from popular cooking competition shows: Take your kids to the grocery store and allow them to make ingredient selections. Make a game out of it, give them a certain dollar amount to shop with or declare they can only get ingredients that start with a certain letter or color.
• Teach them an old family recipe. This creates the perfect opportunity to talk about family traditions and heritage.  
• Pick a different country or theme to cook each week. You might surprise not only them but yourself with all the new flavor profiles.
• When in need of a shortcut, order a meal service that comes with the ingredients. If it’s age appropriate, let them make the meals; if not, turn it into quality time together by allowing them to do some of the prep work. Who doesn’t love having a sous chef in the kitchen!  
• Take them to the produce stand and let them pick out a new item. My kids would always pick out either the strangest looking thing or the smallest.
• Competition-style cooking: Give them a basket of surprise ingredients and allow them to create their own dish. For new cooks, I don’t like to give them raw meat, so precooked chicken strips are a great alternative. Give them familiar ingredients that can easily be used in multiple ways.
• Let them put their own spin on a classic kid favorite like mac and cheese. They can use whatever spices, different cheeses and or pasta shapes, meats and/or veggies.

Allowing your children to get into the kitchen will allow them to fend for themselves, boost their self-confidence and who knows, they might surprise you and themselves!

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