Love Your Food and Eating! Series: post 3 of 5

Last week we created menus and shopping lists together with our kids.  Did you try any of those strategies out?  I would love to know what worked (and what didn't work) for you.  In the meantime, let's move on to the next step, meal preparation.  Meal prep could be as simple as just throwing a few ingredients together but if we really want to teach our kids some great life skills, it should involve a few more steps.  That being said, all of these steps can involve some great quality time with the family and be quite enjoyable! 

The night before (usually after dinner cleanup), we (being me and whomever is up for dinner duty the next day) take a quick look at the posted menu to remind ourselves what we decided to make this week.  We pull out the menu and read it together, making sure we do in fact have all of the ingredients.  It could be as easy as that or sometimes, a recipe requires some actual preparation.  The beans may need to be soaked, some meat might need to be thawed or something might need to soak in marinade overnight.  Have you ever gone to make something for dinner and realized too late that you were supposed to have started something the night before?  I certainly have!  This is a very worthwhile step that just takes minutes (and counts as reading minutes for your school aged children)!  At this point, we also go through and divide the tasks appropriately for the child who will be making it.  The three year old will NOT be chopping onions :)

When the time comes to actually make dinner, the recipe gets read aloud again.  If it is a little more complicated a recipe, then we can discuss how it is going to go.  It also helps to get all of the kitchen tools and ingredients taken out so that they are ready and within reach when needed.  Then we get to work!  I have to admit, I love to cook, try new recipes and just BE in my kitchen.  It has been extrememely difficult for me to let go of my control in this area but I do believe it is such a valuable skill for the kids to partake in and learn.  Jamie Oliver would agree.  He says that good health begins with educating our children about food.  If you havent already, please take 20 minutes and watch his inspiring TED speech:



Make one meal this week with a kid or your spouse.  What strategies do use to make sharing your kitchen easier?