{"id":7626,"date":"2019-08-07T05:47:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T09:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eatrightpa.org\/?p=7626"},"modified":"2021-10-30T03:37:33","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T03:37:33","slug":"involving-kids-in-the-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/2019\/08\/07\/involving-kids-in-the-kitchen\/","title":{"rendered":"Involving Kids in the Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Caroline Passerrello<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Momma, Can I Help You Make That?”<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Luciana is brushing the <\/em><\/span>whole-wheat soft pretzels<\/span><\/a> with oil and then sprinkling salt on them.\u00a0 Some pretzels were much saltier than others<\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n

If you are like me, there are times you hear that question and become overwhelmed with pride and excitement, then there are times you have the opposite reaction to that question.\u00a0 My daughter, now 5, asks this question a lot and I imagine it is because I have involved her in the cooking process as much as possible throughout her life. I know when I am not as excited to hear this questions it is be<\/span>cause I am already stressed or rushed.\u00a0 To be able to answer, \u201cYES!\u201d and share her enthusiasm, I keep this list handy so that I can quickly think of a way she can help based on what we are cooking and the time we have available.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Age ranges are suggestions \u2013 you know your child the best and can judge if a certain task can be done earlier or should be attempted later.\u00a0 This list has been adapted from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, <\/span>click here for an infographic<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Age<\/span><\/td>\nTask<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3-5<\/span><\/p>\n

Children may not be interested in listening to specific directions at this age, so be sure to suggest safe activities and prepare for them to get creative!<\/span><\/td>\n

\n
    \n
  • Arranging<\/b> pieces of fruit to craft funny fruit faces<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Breading<\/b> and flouring – you can set up three stations with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs for fish fingers<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Brushing<\/b> oil onto bread, vegetables and other foods<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Clearing<\/b> countertops<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Cutting<\/b> soft fruit or vegetables on a cutting board<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Kneading<\/b> – light kneading can be fun but you’ll need to step in to complete the task<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Mashing<\/b> bananas for banana bread<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Mixing<\/b> – using either a spoon or hands to mix together ingredients<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rinsing<\/b> produce in a large bowl filled with water<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rolling, shaping and cutting<\/b> dough – choose plastic cutters and a small rolling pin<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Smashing<\/b> crackers for crust or bread crumbs<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Spreading<\/b> – buttering bread and spreading icing<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Tearing<\/b> and squashing – tearing herbs and lettuce or squashing fruit<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Using<\/b> a pestle and mortar – a light wooden one is better than a heavy one<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Washing<\/b> fruit and vegetables<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Weighing<\/b> – pouring or spooning ingredients into scales. Using measuring spoons<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Wrapping<\/b> potatoes in foil to bake<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6-7<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the tasks for 3-5 year olds, you can begin to encourage more independence.<\/span><\/td>\n

\n
    \n
  • Beating<\/b> and folding – show children how to beat cake mixture with a wooden spoon or fold in egg whites without knocking out too much air<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Counting<\/b> items<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Cracking<\/b> eggs into a bowl<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Cutting<\/b> green onions, parsley and other herbs with kitchen scissors<\/span><\/li>\n
  • De-seeding<\/b> peppers and tomatoes<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Gathering<\/b> ingredients and bowls<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Greasing<\/b> and lining a cake tin or tray<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Measuring<\/b> ingredients and learning math skills<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Peeling<\/b> oranges or hard-boiled eggs or even vegetables with a peeler<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Preparing<\/b> lettuce for a salad<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rolling<\/b> dough \u2013 with a rolling pin or into balls (cookies)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Setting<\/b> the table\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Shucking<\/b> and rinse corn<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Stirring<\/b> and preparing instant pudding<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8-9<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to everything listed, kids at this stage can take on more of the planning and continue to increase their independence.<\/span><\/td>\n

\n
    \n
  • Assembling<\/b> sandwiches<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Following<\/b> a simple recipe<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Finding<\/b> ingredients in the cupboards and fridge<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Juicing<\/b> citrus fruits<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Making<\/b> salads<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Measuring<\/b> and mixing ingredients more independently<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Opening<\/b> a can with a can opener<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Pounding<\/b> chicken on a cutting board<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rinsing<\/b> and cleaning vegetables<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Temping<\/b> a food with a food thermometer<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Toasting<\/b> bread<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Unloading<\/b> groceries<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Whisking<\/b>, using a balloon whisk or handheld mixer<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10-12<\/span><\/p>\n

Kids can begin to prepare more complex recipes, start improvising and take on more responsibility involving heat.<\/span><\/td>\n

\n
    \n
  • Baking<\/b> and microwaving foods<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Boiling<\/b> pasta and vegetables<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Following<\/b> a simple step-by-step recipe<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Simmering<\/b> ingredients on the stovetop<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Slicing<\/b> and chopping vegetables<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12+<\/span>
\n<\/span>Even older children still need some supervision to avoid accidents in the kitchen.<\/span><\/td>\n		\n
    \n
  • Applying<\/b> math concepts – counting, dividing portions, doubling recipes, adding and subtracting<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Following<\/b> instructions – young children are particularly inclined to want to add more, jump stages or taste when they shouldn’t<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Identifying<\/b> kitchen equipment and learning how to use it<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Learning<\/b> patience and concepts of cooking time<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Loading<\/b> and unload the dishwasher<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Planning<\/b> the family meal<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Reading<\/b> and following recipes in order to create the final dish<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Recognizing<\/b> ingredients and learning more about them<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Involving kids in the cooking process has been shown to increase their likelihood of trying new foods.\u00a0 It is also a great way to spend quality time together and work on reading, math and science skills. What are your go-to tasks for kids in the kitchen?<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Caroline Passerrello is a Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an Instructor at the University of Pittsburgh and mom to a very helpful 5-year old.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By: Caroline Passerrello   “Momma, Can I Help You Make That?” Luciana is brushing the whole-wheat soft pretzels with oil and then sprinkling salt on them.\u00a0 Some pretzels were much saltier than others If you are like me, there are times you hear that question and become overwhelmed with pride and excitement, then there are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7626"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10337,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7626\/revisions\/10337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eatrightpa.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}