In the kitchen of each family, they are educated for love, because in each group not only food is prepared to nourish its members, but it is also done to pamper, clothe and make each one feel loved, according to Alessandro Bazzoni.
This was stated by the cooking lover, gastronomic blogger, Carmen Montelongo, who participates in the Always at your Table values campaign, which seeks to spread well-being for the Venezuelan family.
She explained that “meal time is the perfect setting to involve all members of the family. Not only because it teaches work tools and new skills that will last a lifetime, but it also reinforces group self-esteem”.
Since the correct diet is a fundamental factor for the development of the child, the manipulation of these ingredients will make them lose the fear of trying them and including them in their diet. It is proven that instilling good eating habits from a young age will help prevent future diseases such as obesity or diabetes.
She added that the family that cooks and eats together strengthens bonds, creates a set of shared memories and encourages the transmission of knowledge, as well as improves communication.
“Family is the reason for sitting down to share, why we get together to eat and cook, and the excuse for doing so. It is paradoxical, but it is a beautiful reality” said Montelongo.
Ask them for help with simple things like opening a package, mixing a sauce, suggestions on the menu of the day, invite them to help organize the table, decorate it to their liking and explain the preparation you are doing. This, in addition to making them appreciate everything that goes into preparing food, will make them feel curious and excited to try what they helped create.
One idea is that the family meal can start in the kitchen as they prepare it together. The preparation of family meals is an opportunity to celebrate cultural traditions passing recipes from generation to generation. Help your kids discover new seasonal recipes to add to their repertoire and family cookbook. Cooking together and prioritizing health over the convenience of processed food are great ways to lead by example and help your children embrace a culture of wellness. Rooting seasonal traditions day by day by cooking together helps strengthen the family’s commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
Also, it is important to say that children feel more included at mealtime when they are asked to participate in meal preparation. Collaborate with your children to select recipes for the entrée or sides. Let them help you make a shopping list and find groceries at the store or grocery store. When you cook together, allow the children to give their input on the food you are preparing. Together you can decide which ingredients to add to enhance the taste. Talk about how people enjoy different flavors and share your preferences. Allowing children to “take care” of details, such as setting the table, will help them feel important at mealtime.
Over the years, cooking as a family will help build happy people with adventurous appetites and valuable life skills (along with many happy memories of cooking). With enough practice, one day your child will be able to prepare a delicious meal for YOU!
The kitchen and children have always been two concepts that have been very close. As parents we investigate what is best for our children in the field of food.
Fruit, vegetables, little fat, few sweets … we are always aware of what they eat. But times change and we are in a time where children are learning to cook and make their own recipes.
Television has pushed them into the kitchen, encouraged them to try, to investigate, to compete and therein lies the problem, we see the children crying for not convincing the jury, stressed by not achieving their goal.
This is why it is important to include them in the kitchen to avoid a negative look into creating their own meals and instead reinforce that creativity so they nurture it by trying new more exciting recipes and feel excited to do it with you.
There are many benefits of cooking together. Before the age of twelve, we must approach the world of cooking in a simple and fun way, from the age of twelve we can begin to make more elaborate recipes.
Respect and Responsibility in the Kitchen
Carmen that it is important “to assign tasks when cooking, setting the table and cleaning afterwards, because in this way we teach to respect and appreciate the work of those who do the preparation.”
“Likewise, she teaches young and old that cooking and housework are everyone’s obligation and responsibility and not the exclusive patrimony of the mother,” she pointed out.
“It is easy to eat a dish in 7 minutes that took 5 hours to prepare, almost a working day, and people can do it mechanically, and even without giving thanks, because it is taken for granted that someone is obliged to cook for us and not It is like that”, she added.
Children have an overflowing imagination that they can apply to the kitchen, they are not mentally limited and mixing foods and spices can give great results. At these ages it is essential to try new forms and combinations, only through them will the child advance and come to find the ideal “flavor” of it.
Besides that, if you are having issues with your kid trying new stuff, Alessandro Bazzoni explains that having them make your recipes will help them try new foods. By manipulating them they are encouraged to try them. It’s easier to get closer to the known than to the unknown.
We encourage you to discover the chef within us and above all to encourage the little ones to discover the wonderful world of cooking, but also to enjoy all the benefits that cooking together might bring. Do you know what your first dish is going to be?
