Paper and pencil to write a list

Tray

Utensils and other equipment with which to cook

2. Write a shopping list from the recipe. Check the nutritional value of the ingredients by reading the nutrition label aloud with your child.

3. Take the children to the market. The supermarket is the perfect place to introduce the older ones to label reading. For children over age 6, see who can find the products with the most sugars, fats, and salt. Explain that the first ingredient listed is what the food has the most of. Then, hunt for alternative, healthier foods.

4. Allow children to feel the weight and texture of vegetables. Handling fruits and vegetables will help them learn how to distinguish between ripe, unripe, or spoiled produce.

5. Have children help you put away groceries. Preschoolers enjoy washing fruits and vegetables, and you can explain the proper way to wash them to remove dirt and insecticides. Have them store fresh vegetables in the refrigerator, explaining this will help retain vitamins and help the vegetables stay fresh longer. Have them store root vegetables (potatoes and onions) in a cool, dry place away from light.

6. Place all the ingredients you will need for the recipe on a tray to make cooking more efficient.

7. Keep tasks simple and within the child abilities. Toddlers can stir an egg, mix ingredients, spread jams or peanut butter, or carry pots and pans. Older children love to measure dry ingredients and enjoy the challenge of pouring liquids without spilling.

Pediatricians recommend that parents should get more involved with their children. What better way than by making a game out of cooking, a necessary task but one in which everyone can be involved. Having your children participate in food selection can help you manage food choices for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school children.

Reprinted from National Parents Information Network