Tips for helping you raise a healthier child

Posted in Healthy eating
by Lorain County Moms

From the editors of Weekly Reader Digital and Print

Who wants to raise a healthy, confident, self-sufficient child?

All right, we know; every parent wants to do just that. But how many parents know that one of the best ways to put your children on the path to those qualities is to get them into the kitchen — and put them to work?

It’s true. Evidence suggests that when kids are involved with food preparation, they tend to eat healthier. In addition, children who cook their own meals are more likely to try new foods, says Sandra Nissenberg, registered dietitian and author of “The Everything Kids’ Cookbook.”

The simplest tip of all is this: Invite your children to help as you prepare a meal.

Encouragement alone is enough for some kids. Just in case it isn’t, however, here are a few ideas for piquing your child’s interest in food preparation.

Begin with simple meals, such as pancakes, pasta, or scrambled eggs. Kids as young as three or four can help beat the eggs or stir the pancake mix. By the time they’re eight or nine, they can prepare — with your careful supervision, of course — the frying pan or the pasta pot (for safety tips, see below). From there, they can move on to chicken, fish, or baked goods.

As you work, talk about basic nutrition principles. We’re not suggesting that you discuss calorie counts or cholesterol; there’s a friendlier, more compelling way to introduce kids to healthful eating. “Look at the food you eat as the fuel your body needs to run every day,” says Sandra Nissenberg. “If you put the wrong kind of gas in your car, the car isn’t going to run properly. If you put the wrong kind of food in your body, your body will get sluggish and you won’t have the energy you need.” Another tactic? Take your child shopping and ask him or her to read the nutrition labels. Which foods are high in sodium? Sugars? For some kids, being a healthy-food sleuth becomes an entertaining game.

Find — and do — a kid-friendly recipe together. Check the cooking section of the newspaper, or watch cooking shows on TV together. Or challenge your child to pick out recipes and how-to videos online. One spot they could start with is www.spatulatta.com. There, sisters Isabella and Olivia Gerasole (ages 11 and 13) host cooking videos and share recipes.

Want a book instead? Sandra Nissenberg’s “Everything Kids Cookbook” is a good place to start. Here are two others with kid appeal:

• “Real Food for Healthy Kids: 200+ Easy, Wholesome Recipes,” by Tracy Seaman and Tanya Wenman Steel (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2008)
• “Junior Leagues in the Kitchen With Kids: Everyday Recipes & Activities for Healthy Living,” by Favorite Recipes Press, Association of Junior Leagues, Mary Margaret Andrews, editor (The Cookbook Marketplace, 2009)

Don’t hesitate to involve the youngest children. Ask them for help as you measure cups, ounces, and teaspoons. You can even turn that exercise into a simple math lesson: Ask how many cookies you need if everyone is to have two. Have your child set the timer, and discuss together how many minutes make up an hour.

Finally, make sure your kids are safe in the kitchen. Here are the important rules in child-friendly language:

• Always get an adult’s permission before using any appliance or sharp utensil.
• Wash up. “Wash your hands before starting, in between jobs in the kitchen, and after to avoid spreading contamination,” says Sarah Krieger, a chef and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
• Tie up long hair so hair won’t drop into the food or get singed from heat.
• Always wear oven mitts when touching a hot pot or pan.

Then, when everything’s ready — dig in!

Weekly Reader publishes digital and print materials for students from grades K-12. Visit www.weeklyreader.com for more tips and stories.