Cooking With Kids

5 fun tips for cooking with kids

1. Invite your kids to cut herbs and shallots using kid-safe scissors.
2. Shake liquids, batters or our delicious Organic Buckwheat Pancake Mix in a sealed jar to the rhythm of their favourite song.
3. Mash bananas, cooked beans, pumpkin or potatoes to a fun song and have a sing-along.
4. Ask them to knead and shape the dough like it’s playdough. Hot tip: If you want to make fun and colourful baked goods, try adding a spoonful of our Beetroot Powder, Blue Spirulina or Spirulina Powder into the dry ingredients upon mixing.
5. Of course, offer your kids a spoon each to lick clean or make cleaning up fun by making it a challenge!

5 surprising benefits of kids cooking

1. Cooking with kids teaches them important life skills, but there are also benefits for you. A moment of pause, spending quality time together and maybe even a cooked meal this Mother’s Day!
2. Cooking teaches your little ones to pay attention and slow down, enjoying the sensations of taste, touch and smell. The repetitive action of chopping and stirring can be mediative and therapeutic, something every child needs a little more of right now.
3. The quality time you spend together in the kitchen might encourage your kids to talk and share what’s really going on for them, especially when there may be a lot of external stress affecting them.
4. By participating in an activity that is part of the family routine, like making breakfast or dinner, kids are engaged in the responsibility of the household. This may bolster their self-esteem, confidence and independence.
5.  Plus, teaching your kids how to cook allows them to learn about good eating habits and what goes into the food they eat. At The Source Bulk Foods, we encourage you to teach kids about nutrition and the benefits of cooking from scratch as opposed to processed foods. We have so many organic and wholefood ingredients in-store to help you on that journey.

Practise reducing waste with kids

While enjoying cooking together, take the time to educate your little ones on the importance of reducing waste for a healthy planet. Make it fun and easy by explaining that small steps can make a big difference. Encourage the kids to think of one small step they or the family can make that will help to reduce waste. Extend this exercise further by writing this down.

With Mother’s Day approaching, why not channel your kids’ energy into making a healthy meal that is nutritious and fun to make as well?

RECIPE

Pea, Zucchini & Haloumi Fritters

Makes: 10 large fritters

• 2 large zucchinis, grated
• 3 spring onions, chopped with kid-safe scissors
• Zest 1 lemon + squeeze of juice
• ½ cup fresh basil or parsley or coriander, chopped with kid-safe scissors
• 150g halloumi, grated or 3 tbs Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1½ tsp Ground Cumin
• 1½ tsp Ground Coriander
• ½ cup peas
• 65g Organic Plain Flour or Besan Chickpea Flour
• 2 eggs (Find our egg substitute suggestions here)
• 1 tbs Organic Coconut Oil, to grease pan
• Himalayan Salt & Mixed Peppercorn, to taste

1. Squeeze zucchini in sieve to release as much liquid as possible, then transfer to large mixing bowl.
2. With the help of your kids, add remaining ingredients and mix with hands to combine – your kids will love this step!
3. Heat coconut oil in frypan over medium heat and place ¼ cup amounts of mixture into pan.
4. Cook for a few mins then flip and cook on the other side. You want the fritters golden and brown.
5. Serve with condiments like tomato relish, mango chutney or sweet potato mash. Enjoy!

Looking for more easy recipes to cook with the kids?

Create quick and healthy snacks and lunches with our collection of recipes! Try making delicious Sesame & Rice Balls, Homemade Museli Bites, Pink Pattaya Gummies, Buckwheat Pancakes with Raspberry Chia Jam, plus more recipes that are fun to cook with kids!

DOWNLOAD our FREE lunchbox recipes here.