Advantages Of Cooking As A Family
The television programs that show competitions of children who are graduated as chefs, in the style of Master Chef Junior, in addition to entertaining us, changed the conception of the role that a child can have in the kitchen. These little ones developed their skills accompanied by their parents and we sense that they are well aware of the advantages of cooking as a family.
The television show is an extremely good and exalted example of what a child can do as a cook, but honestly it is quite a departure from what we are used to seeing in our kitchens, and, if it is honesty, it is also a long way off. of what we allow children to do in that area.
Away from the television lights , there are deeper elements than being skilled in the kitchen, such as being aware of how important it is to eat well. That aspect can be learned in the heat of the kitchen.
-Venezuelan nutritionist Daniel Campos-
Cooking as a family invites you to learn
The also president of the Lara State College of Nutritionists, in Venezuela, Daniel Campos, explains that when family members have a well-formed knowledge of what it is to eat well. When you know what a well-balanced diet is, what nutrients are, what are the right foods, children learn it too.
During food preparation, the kitchen can be turned into a classroom. Just one of the advantages of cooking as a family is that we can talk about what carrots are, why we are going to eat them, what nutrients it has, why we are going to eat rice … Why we should eat only one carbohydrate and explain to the children what it is a carbohydrate.
The home kitchen can be turned into a learning classroom where parents are the best teachers. In this space, the affective bond between parents and children can be increased while the most important things about nutrition are explained to the little ones. These explanations must be adjusted to the understanding capacity of the little ones.
In addition to the important advantage of strengthening the bond, it also generates greater trust between parents and children. From there, strong ties arise that are nourished by conversations of daily events. And if it is about listing the advantages of cooking as a family, recovering the habit of eating together is another one. Keep in mind that eating separately creates distance between family members.
Love in the kitchen
Parents often, out of precaution or fear, keep children away from the kitchen. Certainly we must prevent children from being near fire and sharp objects, but they can still perform certain tasks in the kitchen. When children are very young they can make a sandwich, they can also separate vegetables from vegetables so that they learn to know and identify them.
Separating the grains helps them refine their motor skills and washing fruits and vegetables is among the tasks that do not involve approaching the fire or dealing with sharp objects, which keeps them away from possible burns and cuts.
But in addition to occupying the child in productive activities, being present in the preparation of food and having a task while it is carried out makes him feel involved, that what he does is important, and that contributes to the good development of his self-esteem.
As children get older they can undertake other tasks such as putting water in the blender where they will process the fruits to make juices and learning how to measure sugar. You can well teach them that the blender has sharp edges and that is why they should not place their little hands inside the container and when they gain confidence they can begin to cut soft fruits such as melon or sideburns with blunt knives.
And little by little your child will develop in the kitchen. Cheer up! You could also become a chef if that is what you would like. In the same way, we want to remember that when children feel part of cooking food they will enjoy eating as a family a lot, something also essential to educate in responsible and healthy eating!
