Kid's Kitchen

With obesity reaching epidemic proportions, the emphasis on healthy eating for children has reached an all time high.

It goes without saying that wholesome nutritious food should form an integral part of the diet, and by blending this into a daily menu plan will help us and our children avoid treading onto the slippery road to obesity. But how can we encourage our children to resist the temptation of crisps and sweets? How can we make them understand the importance of healthy food? Well, one fantastic way to teach children the benefits and the effects of food is in the kitchen!

The government has recognised the importance of teaching nutrition to youngsters, with secondary school children now facing a compulsory stint behind the cookers and sinks at school. And the curriculum also caters for Primary school age children. At school, many 4-11 year olds enjoy following simple recipes to make foodstuffs such as basic crispy cakes and pizza decorated with an imaginative mix of savoury ingredients. Most youngsters enjoy these moments in the school kitchen - it gives them the chance to be creative, whilst learning important social values, manners, and respect.

But most children especially love spending some precious time concocting a culinary mix using a whole array of exciting ingredients at home. Not only does this give them the chance to create something unique that is hopefully edible, but it also gives them that very special and much wanted time with mum and dad. And, as parents, we gain substantially - of course a little masterchef is quite helpful to have around!

Before you Start - Safety in the Kitchen:
Always have a grown up in the kitchen with you, when you cook.
Read the recipe through with your child before you start.

Decide what parts of the recipe your child can safely manage.
Teach the importance of hygiene.

Always wash hands thoroughly before handling food.
Be wary of hot ovens and boiling water.

Remember steam from a kettle can burn.
Encourage your child to use oven gloves when handling hot dishes & trays.
Tell your child to hold a  firm grip on the handle of a knife.

Always cut with the blade pointing away.
Don’t run in a kitchen – always walk.

Download a Kitchen Safety Poster for your children to colour in from
www.safekids.co.uk/KitchenSafetyPosterKids.

Let’s start…
Begin by choosing an easy recipe for a dish your child will enjoy eating. Then, get the children involved buying ingredients at the shops – get them to make sure they have everything they need before they start. Next, make your kitchen child friendly. Use solid chairs or stools to help small children reach clear work surfaces. And remember, children need more space than adults.

Recipes to try at home

Taken from her website site www.strirrinstuff.org, and regular recipe supplier to the www.primarytimes.net website, Fiona Bird, a past Masterchef finalist and mother of six explains that children can have fun cooking from scratch and will learn important life skills. She describes that by following easy to follow recipe directions a child’s reading skills will be enhanced, as will their mathematic ability as they learn how to weigh, measure and follow the numerical sequence of the recipe procedure. Basic science is also brought in - such as how water turns to steam when boiled, and how all five senses, especially taste, are tested when cooking. And of course there is the added bonus of working as part of a small group and the chance to get creative.

Here is a simple yet fun recipe supplied by Fiona Bird :

Egg in a bed

Makes 4

What to find:
15g soft butter
Olive oil
4-5 thin slices of wholemeal bread
Four small eggs
Freshly ground pepper

Kitchen Stuff:
Muffin tray
Rounded ended knife
Pastry cutter
Small bowl

What to do:
Put the oven on 400F, 200C, 180C Fan, Gas 6

1. Grease four muffin tins with a little butter and then drizzle a little olive
oil into each tin.

2. Thinly spread the bread with butter and line the muffin tins with the
bread. You can use a small circular cutter to line the base (or cutting
around an egg cup works too). Cut strips with the remaining bread and
use this to fill in the sides.

3. Crack an egg into a small bowl – you might need to practice, as we
want a whole egg not a broken one.

4. Carefully drop the egg into your bread lined muffin tin and grind a
little black pepper over the top.

5. Bake in a hot oven until the egg has just set (about 6- 8 minutes). Ask
a grown up to check after 4 minutes, unless you like hard boiled eggs.

6. Run the knife around the edge of the muffin tray and do some
acrobatics – turn the egg on to a plate!

An adult may need to do step 6 for younger children.
©stirrinstuff.org

Kirsty Woodgate
Recipes by: Fiona Bird at ©Stirrinstuff.org