Give a kid a fish stick, you feed them for a night. Teach a kid to bake a salmon filet, roast broccoli, and make a salad, you’ve given them the skills to eat healthy for a lifetime.
Cooking as a family really can provide significant, sustained benefits for your children. That’s easier said than done, though. Just reading the phrase “cooking with kids” might make your mind conjure a mess of epic proportions. Noodles on the ceiling. A sauce waterfall tumbling off the counter. Sticky hands and a messy face.
With proper preparation and patience, cooking with kids won’t turn into a kitchen nightmare. And your children will fill up on life-long skills and short-term benefits. It will make any minor messes or stresses more than worth it.
The 9 Big Benefits of Cooking as a Family
You can make up a lot of excuses for skipping the family cooking. Time, convenience, stress, etc., etc., etc. But there’s an equally long list of the benefits for cooking as a family. Here’s the nine best reasons (there were more, but you only have so much time) to start cooking with kids:
Cooking is an important life skill. Kids who don’t learn how to cook aren’t likely to starve as adults. There are ways to get food. But cooking isn’t an extravagance. It’s a skill that can impress, inspire, and empower kids and adults alike.
It helps create healthy eating habits. Cooking at home is always better than eating out. And research keeps coming to the same conclusion—cooking and eating at home develops healthier eaters. That means more nutrient-rich foods (fruits and vegetables), lean proteins, grains, and fiber. Cooking and eating with your kids also helps you set an example for healthy eating that kids can mimic (sensible portions, good choices, and more).
Makes weight management easier. Healthy weight goes hand in hand with healthy eating habits. Eating at home also makes it easier to avoid fried, fatty, and sugary foods. So, it makes sense that studies link family cooking and eating to healthy weight in kids.
Cooking improves other skills. Reading and math aren’t the first skills you connect with cooking. But reading recipes, counting ingredients, and measuring are integral parts of food preparation. Communications skills—like language and listening—can also be improved when kids cook with their parents.
It promotes better academic performance. There could be a connection to the skills kids acquire while cooking. Studies show that kids who participate in family cooking and eating test better and have bigger vocabularies.
Acts as a substance-abuse deterrent. It might seem like a stretch, but there’s research to back up this benefit. Studies have found that kids who eat with their family are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.
Cooking results in more adventurous eaters. Kids can be picky. And that’s not a good thing. Picky eaters can miss out on a lot of important nutrition. But cooking as a family helps kids get more excited about food. Kids are more likely to try the food they’ve helped make. This helps develop a healthy relationship with food and an adventurous palate.
Fosters connection and conversation. Cooking with kids sets up quality family time. You’ll have a chance to talk to your kids, teach, listen, and connect with them. These conversations over meals—from chopping to chewing—helps bring families together.
You’ll serve up a side of confidence for your kids. Making a meal is an accomplishment. Seeing ingredients turn into a delicious dish is a big deal for kids. Cooking as a family helps kids feel like they helped and accomplished something. That can lead to a boost in confidence.
Source : Ask The Scientist
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