INVOLVED = INVESTED

Week 3 in our Guest Writer Series 

Kids want to help; take the time to find ways to channel their eagerness and energy into helping you (while capitalizing on teaching moments) instead of letting that surplus energy turn into an annoyance.  When kids are invested they are engaged (read: not causing trouble) and more likely to try a new food if they were involved in the planning, shopping, and preparation of it.

•    Menu Input – ask the kids for input as you put together your weekly menu plan.  This is a great opportunity to discuss the types of foods needed to create a nutritionally balanced meal (Okay, you chose some meat and pasta.  What’s missing?).  It’s also your best bet to ensure that the kids are going to come to the table ready to eat what’s being offered, leaving dinner to be quality family time rather than  whine time.

•    Kid Cookbooks - Depending on the general chaos of our family calendar, we try to do a few kid cooking projects each week.  The kids are now at the age where they are generating the recipe suggestions on their own.  We love Mollie Katzen’s Salad People and Pretend Soup cookbooks, which are geared toward toddlers/preschoolers with its pictoral recipes.  The kids like to be part of my Sunday morning menu planning ritual.  They pour over their cookbooks and decide what to make while mommy pours over hers with a cup of tea and 30 minutes of happy, distracted kids.

•    Open Discussion – Be open with the kids about the reasons you make certain nutritional decisions.  This is not only another weapon for combating the I-wants in the grocery store, but is also a great way to introduce the purpose of advertising to your young child.                     

Zen Recipe Corner
Left over Halloween Candy?
Check out this recipe to get some inspiration:
Butterfinger Banana Cake