Cooking For Kids

Family meals should be fun as well as being nutritious – so whether you are cooking for your children or your grandchildren, Taste editor Suzanne Dale has some great tips on how to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Tip one

Children love to eat with their hands – that’s probably one of the reasons why takeaways are so popular. But it’s easy to make a healthy, tasty version of their fast-food favourites at home. For something adults will enjoy as well, try Venison Burgers with Rocket Mayo and Beetroot Jam. Or whip up Chicken and Chips, perfect for the backyard or a picnic, or Nachos and Salsa.

Tip two

Children love to help in the kitchen so look for simple recipes to get them started. These Mini Pizzas using pita bread as a base are fabulous – you can vary the toppings to cater to any age group. Parmesan Pastry Twists are another good starting point for junior chefs or older children might like to try Chocolate and Coconut cookies.

Tip three

Family food does not have to be boring and bland. Give children a set of chopsticks and a Chinese spoon to eat this Thai Fish Curry and they will have great fun trying to capture the slurpy noodles and other pieces of food before enjoying the broth with their spoons. Great practice for fine-motor skills!  

Tip four

Kids will eat vegetables if you make them interesting – try dressing carrots up with honey and sesame seeds or turn the vegetable into an edible eating utensil with Asian lettuce cups with spicy pork. Pumpkin Soup and Pumpkin Scones are other child-friendly options.

Tip five

Almost every child will eat pasta of some sort. Try this spaghetti and meatballs recipe as an alternative to spaghetti bolognaise – you can make it in one pot in 35 minutes. Break up the spaghetti before you cook it if you are serving to young children – it’s less messy to eat! This sausage and pasta recipe is sure to be a family favourite or cook up Spaghetti frittata with chorizo – this crunchy pasta pie has a tasty cheesy filling children love.

Check out other child-friendly recipes at Taste magazine’s website or get a great deal on a subscription to Taste magazine.

Published 29th Sep 2008

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