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Forget the Mess, Kids Who Cook
Can Develop a Lifelong Love of Good Food
(ARA) - Culinary professionals from The Art Institutes say that cooking with kids can be
fun for the whole family with a few simple safety rules and basic organization. The
payoff? Encouraging children to enjoy cooking can help nurture a lifelong love of good
food and eating well.
For Chef Director Bill Niemer of The Art Institutes International
Minnesota, having children in the kitchen can be a fun experience for all involved with a
little careful planning.
"If you're working with young children under five, give them
simple jobs such as using cookie cutters or decorating a plate with garnishes like herbs
or flowers they can gather in a garden, " he explains. For older children, Niemer
says most can use small paring knives close to the size of their hands to cut simple
shapes from vegetables or fruits.
No matter what a child's age, close supervision is the most important
safety consideration. That, and "teaching a child respect for the heat of an oven or
a stove. Any child that needs to stand on a stool to use an oven shouldn't be using
one," says Niemer. The chef recommends that adults make sure to use the right size
pots and pans to avoid splatter, and to keep handles pointed toward the back of the stove.
When Chef Niemer and his daughter are in the kitchen together, they
enjoy preparing a tasty beef stew. Besides helping her appreciate good food and cooking
techniques, the chef sees other benefits for his daughter, "I have her do all the
measuring. It's a great way to reinforce math skills," he adds.
For her "Cooking with Kids" class at The Art Institute of
Phoenix, Chef Jennifer Mraz teaches her students, ranging in age from seven to nine,
important kitchen basics that -- with practice -- they will continue to use as adults. As
in any professional cooking school, Chef Mraz tells her students that good food starts
with good safety and sanitary habits. Students are taught the importance of washing hands
thoroughly with soap and warm water before beginning to cook and keeping work areas clean
by washing down surfaces with a sponge and warm water, before and after cooking.
Kids are natural cooks and they have energy to spare, says Chef Mraz,
but they like to be kept busy in the kitchen, not just watching. "No matter how well
organized you are, kitchens get messy when children cook, but that's part of the
fun," she says. "Encourage them to stop and clean up as they go along, clean
cooking surfaces, and put ingredients away once they've been used."
When Chef Instructor Steven Pilat at The Art Institute of Dallas
teaches a cooking course to children from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, many
of whom dine frequently at fast-food restaurants, he likes to start his classes by
teaching nutrition, and keeping the lessons fun. "We play nutrition bingo using black
or pinto beans to mark the spaces, and quiz kids about the food pyramid," he says.
"They learn they need to eat grains and vegetables several times a day and save the
sugars for special treats."
Since many of the chef's students make their own snacks when they
return from school, Chef Pilat tries to encourage the children to think about what healthy
snacks are all about. "I introduce foods like fresh fruits and granola," he
says. "We give the kids a bag of groceries to take home and prepare the recipes that
we do in class. That way, they can share what they've learned with their families."
As Chef Mraz explains, "Everyone likes to eat, it's a common
interest we all have. When children are invited into the kitchen as active participants
and they see how much fun cooking can be, they are learning wonderful lessons about eating
well that will serve them all their lives."
Recipes Apple Volcanoes from Chef Jennifer Mraz, The Art
Institute of Phoenix
(serves two)
- 2 apples
- 2 large marshmallows
- cup peanut butter
- cup chocolate chips
- cup chopped nuts
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
Wash apples. Remove stem and core out apple with spoon, enlarging the hole slightly.
Press marshmallows in center of cored apple to fill the bottom. Spoon peanut butter into
apple to fill to the top. Spread peanut butter over top of apple. Sprinkle with chocolate
chips and coconut.
Yogurt Parfaits from Chef Steve Pilat, The Art Institute of Dallas
(serves one)
- 1 8oz. container of vanilla yogurt
- cup fruit (any kind, chopped)
- cup low-fat granola
Place layer of yogurt on the bottom of a bowl or cup. Cover yogurt with a layer of
fruit and then a layer of granola. Keep layering until all the ingredients are used. Serve
immediately or place in the freezer to make a frozen yogurt snack. .
Editors Note: The Art Institutes system of 22 educational institutions is
located nationwide, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and
culinary professionals. The Art Institutes system of schools has provided career-oriented
education programs for over 35 years with more than 125,000 graduates. For more
information visit The Art Institutes website at www.artinstitutes.edu/nz |
