Cooking with kids is a great way to get them to try new foods, spend quality time with family and even work on math skills. It can be daunting to invite kids into the kitchen to help prepare a meal, but there are things that children of all ages and abilities can help with when it comes to cooking.
To get them excited about helping in the kitchen, try recreating healthy, at-home versions of their favorite restaurant foods such as oven baked chicken nuggets, healthy mac and cheese or even easy BBQ chicken pizzas!
Depending on their age, give them tasks that meet their ability. Younger kids might be able to help with stirring, pouring in ingredients and assembly. Older kids can help read the recipes or measure or chop ingredients.
Kids of all ages can help plan the family’s meals for the week. If you have multiple kids in your house, allow each one to pick a weeknight dinner they would like to help prepare. You can even have them help create the grocery list and with shopping at the market.
In the warmer months, try growing a vegetable garden. Growing your own fruits and vegetables at home can be a great way to get kids to try new fruits and vegetables. Depending on what you are growing, you can incorporate the fruits and vegetables into meals that the kids can help prepare. This allows kids to learn about where the food comes from and the journey it makes from field to table.
Try this recipe with your kids!
Chic’ Penne
(Recipe originally from USDA What’s Cooking)
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 cups penne pasta, whole-wheat, dry
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup cooked diced chicken
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half
- 1 tablespoon enriched all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, low-moisture, part-skim, shredded
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Gradually stir in pasta and return to a boil. Cook uncovered 8-10 minutes or until tender. Do not overcook. Drain well. Toss pasta with 1/4 teaspoon garlic.
3. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add broccoli florets and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle with remaining garlic.
4. Transfer pasta and broccoli to a medium casserole dish (about 8” x 11”) coated with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken. Mix well.
5. In a small mixing bowl, mix 1/2 cup half-and-half with flour. Whisk to remove lumps.
6. In a medium skillet, heat chicken broth, salt, pepper, and remaining half-and-half. Stir constantly. Stir in half-and-half/flour mixture. Stir constantly and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to low. Stir frequently for 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Pour sauce over broccoli/pasta mixture.
8. Cover casserole dish with lid or with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Heat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees or higher for at least 15 seconds (use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature). Remove from oven. Serve hot.
Nutrition info for 1 and 1/2 cup serving: 300 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 26 mg cholesterol, 418 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 5 g total sugar, 0 g added sugar, 19 g protein
