Benefits of Cooking with your Kids

As many of you know I wrote a cookbook. It all started out as a fun way to get kids to eat more veggies. Although making these recipes FOR your kids is incredibly beneficial to their health, having them help out and join you in the kitchen has shown to have even more benefits to not only their health but their development as well. Additionally, it’s a great bonding and fun activity to do together.

There have been lots of studies and research that talks about the benefits of cooking with your kids. Below are just a few of the many reasons why you should grab that cookbook and your kids and start cooking together!

My adorable nephew! #redheads :)

My adorable nephew! #redheads :)

  • 1) It enhances their math, reading and fine motor skills

    • Having kids read the recipe to you or reading the steps together can help them develop their skills and learn words and phrases that they may not have otherwise heard or known.

    • Cooking is all about measurements and counting. “Add 2 tablespoons”, this requires counting or “we need 1.5 cups of flour, how many ½ cup measurements do we need to add in”?  Making math and cooking fun!

  • 2) Promotes self confidence

    • As kids grow, they begin to test their independence. Having them feel ownership over something they helped with or made boosts their confidence. They should be proud of their work and it’s even more exciting when they made something the whole family is enjoying.

  • 3) Encourages family bonding

    • Cooking is a great activity to do with the family.  Life can be so busy between work, school, activities, etc, it’s nice to have something fun that the family can do together.  Cooking with your kids and bonding in this way is something they take with them throughout their life.

  • 4) Promotes healthy and more adventurous eating

    • There have been many studies that show the more the kids have a hand in the cooking process the more likely they are to be more adventurous in eating. Additionally, this is a great time to talk to kids about nutrition and why the foods you are making are important to their health.

  • 5) Teaches life skills

    • Learning how to cook is an important skill for life. Teaching your kids to enjoy cooking and how to make recipes or simple meals will help them throughout their whole life.

Looking for some healthy and delicious recipes to make with your kids? Check out my cookbook, Hidden Veggies. It’s filled with sweet and savory recipes all with hidden veggies. Easy, healthy and fun recipes that are great for the whole family.

I also have a YouTube channel where I walk you through how to make many healthy and easy recipes for you and your family. A great way to incorporate you kids in the kitchen! Make sure to check it out and don’t forget to subscribe!

Robin Goldberg