Judy E. Buss

Few family activities are more enjoyable than spending time with kids “playing” in the kitchen. We are not talking about letting a toddler slice raw carrots with a sharp weapon called a “chef’s knife!”  The benefits of teaching children how to cook are numerous. Such activity leads to a deeper bonding between them and the adult(s) teaching them these skills. The children learn to become familiar with different foods and are therefore more willing to eat a wider variety of them. Reading and math are enhanced by learning to follow recipes, cooking vocabulary, temperatures, and how to count or measure ingredients.  Helping to make a recipe builds self esteem when kids can proudly declare: “I helped make this dish!” They gain a sense of responsibility which also rubs off on other aspects of their lives. This tends to lead to better behavior as well.

One of the most important benefits of teaching youngsters the art of healthy cooking is giving them essential life-long skills. Sadly, most of today’s young people cannot cook when they leave the nest to live on their own. This inevitably leads to detrimental health problems when they resort to living on, “convenience,” junk, and fast food.

At the age of four, little ones can be initiated to the joy of healthy cooking by “helping” to identify vegetables and fruits, colors, counting how many grapes you are adding to the fruit salad, etc. By age nine, they may be shown how to perform simple, age-appropriate tasks, such as mixing a salad dressing in a bowl; measuring pasta, herbs, or spices using the correct measuring equipment; washing vegetables and fruits; and learning basic kitchen safety and hygiene.

Make cooking-fun-time activity a regular part of your family life (with an adult always present).  By age sixteen, if they were taught enough for several years, they should be able to assume the responsibility for cooking a simple dinner once a week, for everyone’s benefit. Make the following simple recipes with your budding chefs:

CANTALOUPE-GRAPE SALAD
4 servings

1/2 ripe cantaloupe
15 seedless green grapes
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Cut the cantaloupe in half and refrigerate the leftover half in airtight container or bag.
2. Remove the seeds with a spoon and slice the cantaloupe half you are using into 5 “smiles”.
3. Now, on one slice, make vertical cuts ¾-inch apart through the flesh up to but not through the skin. “Shave” the cantaloupe segments off the skin into a medium bowl. Repeat the procedure with the remaining slices.
4. In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients and refrigerate in an airtight container for 30 minutes before serving, mixing once more.

MAC N’ CHEESE SLIMTASTIC
2 servings

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated reduced-fat Sharp Cheddar cheese
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups uncooked whole grain elbow macaroni
Olive oil divided:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Pepper to taste

1. Measure the cheeses and place them in a small bowl.
2. Chop the garlic and keep on a separate plate.
3. Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 with water and 1 tablespoon oil. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Gently mix in the pasta, and reduce the heat to low. Leaving the cover partially open, cook the pasta slowly 10 minutes. Drain.
4. Meanwhile, place the garlic with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, reduce the heat and stir constantly 30 seconds. Remove from the burner. When the pasta is done, add the garlic mixture. Mix in the oregano and pepper into the hot pasta, then stir in cheeses allowing them to melt and evenly coat the pasta.

“Mission Nutrition” Tips and Recipes from Judy E. Buss, Syndicated Eating-for-Health Columnist

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