Schooling in the Kitchen

If you haven't already guessed, I'm really passionate about children being educated from the get-go with healthy foods.  We as the parents have the opportunity to create the best health and eating habits in our children, so why not make the most of it right?  After all, they are our future.  

I ask you these questions:


How often are your children in the kitchen with you?  
Do they see you preparing their foods?  
Do they help?
Do they ask questions?
Do they touch, feel and taste foods?  
Do you 'show & tell' what a food is, how you can eat it?  
Have you planted fruits or vegetables or herbs?


We are our children's educators when it comes to health.  Teachers have enough on their plate when it comes to educating children (pardon the pun).   

When you're preparing food in the kitchen, no matter what time, invite your children to come and watch/participate.  As the blog titles suggests: Schooling in the Kitchen. While you're preparing/chopping talk to your children about the foods, their name, their colours, their taste, their sensation, whether they are served cooked/raw or both.  You'll be surprised how many children can't name fruits and vegetables.  They might know what it looks like chopped but not as a whole piece?!  It's important to make food fun, make up little songs if your children are young enough or get your children actively involved with preparing if old enough.  

Master 3, Miss 19 months and myself were chanting 'smashed peas' while I was smashing the peas for one of our meals this week.  The 'smashed peas' chant continued on for a little while (even to the next day) - it made the process fun, and got the children interested to try the new way of eating peas (as it wasn't just peas in the mix).  Children love to watch juice or smoothies go from fruit/vegetables to a tasty drink.  Talk about the process, emphasising the importance of the juice/smoothie (and any food you're preparing) being healthy and why their body needs the nutrients. Talk about building their immunity, overall happiness from a healthy tummy and growing well with strong, healthy bones and teeth. 

In this house, there's a good focus on the kitchen.  As much as it can be a little frustrating having the ankle biters at your feet - I encourage you to put them on a chair or stool and let them join in and ask their 100 questions. You're doing them a favour. Especially if you're answering positively and actively keeping their mind stimulated by telling them or quizzing them on what the food can do/does, its colour, what letter it starts with etc.  You can shape cut food, spiralise it to look like spaghetti, make a slinky, make a face - whatever it takes to get them involved and tasting, touching and learning about the goodness of fresh, healthy foods.  More than anything, this role in the kitchen for the children gives them confidence and common knowledge that they can always use.      

Children develop eating habits early, exposure, exposure, exposure is my best tip.  Your child may not touch something you put on their plate 10 times, but they might try on the 15th attempt.  It's worth it.  Please don't give up.  Your child doesn't like anything until they're 30 and still saying they don't like it.  By then they've had a good chance to try the foods many times, and hopefully have a positive experience.  Definitely don't force feed.  The relationship with food for each person should be a calm, relaxed, enjoyable one.  There is an amazing rainbow of wonderful foods out there that we should all have the chance to taste.  Include more colours of the rainbow on your child's plate or lunchbox every day.  

I want this post to get you thinking a little more outside the box - or even to forget the 'box'.  Serve food how you and your children want to - but make it fresh and clean.  And by clean I mean minimal/no additives and preservatives, minimal/no processed foods, minimal/no added sugar and high concentration on fresh produce.  Most of all, get the group effort happening (even if that includes your charming 2 year old eating things before it gets to the plate)! 

YOU are your children's inspiration in the kitchen.  Even if you don't enjoy it, act like it.  Enthusiasm goes a long way when you're talking about food to your children.  As I've said before "talk it up".  Whatever it takes.  Schooling in the Kitchen is our job, let's do it...!  


“The more you inspire, the more people will inspire you.” Simon Sinek