I absolutely love getting kids in the kitchen! Actually, my very first job right after completing my masters and internship at the University of Toronto was in the small town of Alliston, just north of Toronto. I was in charge of developing, implementing, and evaluating a program for children on cooking. I taught food safety, health eating and the importance of exercise… it was a lot of fun!

But boy, 10 kids running around a kitchen is exhausting! hahaha… so I only worked in that job for about a year. A year later I was teaching families how to cook in their own homes with my first business called Whole Food Therapy. And today? I pull my little toddler Deakon in the kitchen with me to cook. He is a little afraid of the steam, but LOVES to stir, let me tell you 😉

Today we have a deliciously delightful guest post from our dietitian friend Jodi Danen, RD. I’m so happy to have Jodi here with us on the blog talking about cooking with kids and sharing a yummy recipe.

Do you ever turn on the Food Network and think “I could totally do that”?!  But then you flip the channel and forget all about the recipe you wanted to bring to life?  If this sounds familiar, you are part of the growing number of people who watch cooking shows, but don’t follow up by actually cooking in their kitchens.

There is a decline in the number of people who prepare homemade meals and snacks at home.  Let’s break this cycle! Cooking is a great family activity.  As an added bonus, children who help prepare meals or snacks are much more likely to try something new and complain less. Getting kids involved in the kitchen not only teaches important life skills, but can also help them brush up on their math, reading, and comprehension!

A great way to get started making homemade meals is with simple recipes. Look for recipes with fewer than 10 ingredients and those that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Simplicity is key to avoid getting overwhelmed.

One of the most fun parts of cooking for kids is getting to play with food.  Tap into your child’s creativity by putting out ingredients they can easily make into a snack, such as a yogurt parfait.  Set out yogurt, fresh, canned, or dried fruit, granola, and dry cereal and watch as your child builds their very own creation!

Another idea for a fun and easy recipe is homemade soda, which has the added bonus of being a much healthier alternative to the store bought varieties.  Watch how simple it is to make.

Homemade Lemon Lime Soda

Makes: 1 serving

Time: 10 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

1 lemon

1 lime

2 TBSP orange juice concentrate

8 oz sparkling water or seltzer water (I used Ice Mountain Sparkling Water – Lemon Flavor)

1 cup ice

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Squeeze one lemon into bowl.

Squeeze one lime into a separate bowl.

In a drinking cup, add 2 TBSP of lemon juice and 1 TBSP of lime juice.

Add 2 TBSP orange juice concentrate to cup and stir.

Fill drinking cup with ice.

Pour sparkling water into cup.

Gently stir and serve.

Enjoy!

Customize your soda by mixing different fruit juices. Try adding smashed strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries!

If you like this simple recipe and are looking for more ideas be sure to check out the brand new Lunch Bites™ lunch box note cards from Create Kids Club.  In addition to the 8 creative cooking cards included in each set, parents can enjoy putting a fun lunch box note card into their child’s lunch box, backpack, or sports bag.  The cards include jokes, riddles, and facts that get kids laughing – and learning – at lunch!