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    Ways to get kids involved in food preparation and cooking 

    In the kitchen

    • Select recipes that can involve your children.
    • Get your child to read a recipe to you or the list of ingredients.
    • Allocate simple tasks such as washing vegetables, grating vegetables, cracking eggs, stirring and measuring ingredients.
    • Get your children to help with packing their lunchbox and choosing foods from each of the different food groups.

    At the shops

    • Let your children choose some of their own fruits and vegetables.
    • Try to avoid the middle aisles of the supermarket, which usually have more processed foods.
    • Let your children help with unpacking the groceries at home, learning what different items are and where they should be stored.

    In the garden

    • Set up a fruit / veggie garden or have some planter pots with herbs.
    • Let your children pick their own vegetables and eat them as snacks (e.g. cherry tomatoes, strawberries, mini cucumbers).
    • Give your children garden tasks such as weeding and watering to get them involved.

    Recipes to get the kids involved with

    Here are two quick and easy, no-cook recipes to start with when getting the kids involved in the kitchen.

    Rainbow pasta salad (serves 4)
    Ingredients:
    • 150g trimmed green beans
    • 100g spiral pasta
    • 210g canned corn, drained
    • 210g canned four bean mix
    • 125g cherry tomatoes, halved
    • ½ red capsicum, diced
    • ¼ red onion, finely diced
    • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
    • ¼ cup basil, chopped
    Dressing:
    • ¾ Tbs Dijon mustard
    • ¼ Tbs honey
    • ¼ Tbs white vinegar
    • ¼ Tbs water

    Method:

    1. Bring a medium sized saucepan of water to the boil. Add green beans and simmer for 2min. Remove and rinse under cold water
    2. Add pasta to boiling water, cook according to packet instructions
    3. Drain pasta, set aside in a bowl to cool
    4. Add drained beans and remaining salad ingredients to the cooled pasta
    5. Put all ingredients for the dressing in a screw top jar. Shake well. Pour over pasta
    Super green muffins (makes 12)
    Ingredients:
    • 2 spring onions finely chopped
    • 1½ cups packed baby spinach, finely chopped
    • 1 cup white self-rising flour
    • 1 cup wholemeal self-rising flour
    • ½ cup frozen baby peas
    • ⅓ cup fresh chopped herbs or 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
    • 200g broccoli, trimmed, finely chopped
    • ⅓ cup olive oil
    • ⅔ cup reduced fat milk
    • ½ cup plain reduced fat Greek-style yoghurt
    • 1 egg lightly whisked
    • 1 small zucchini, grated, squeezed of excess liquid

    Method:

    1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan forced. Line a 12-hole (⅓ cup capacity) muffin pan with paper cases
    2. Combine spring onions, spinach, flours, peas, herbs, and broccoli in a large bowl. Make a well in centre
    3. Whisk oil, milk, yoghurt, and egg in a jug, pour into mixture, add zucchini, stir until just combined (some lumps are okay)
    4. Divide mixture among cases
    5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until just browning and firm to touch. Stand for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack