FUN with FRUITS and VEGGIES!!!

Today we learned how FUN and TASTY our Fruits and Veggies can be!

If we eat a RAINBOW of COLOR each day, we’ll grow up healthy and strong!

All Ages:

• Require washing hands before helping or independent cooking experiences.

• Encourage cooperation in kitchen clean-up.

• Stress safety with cutting tools, ovens, stove tops and appliances.

• Provide simple recipes and instructions.

• Have ingredients on hand for spur-of-the-moment cooking opportunities.

• Be available for help

Ages 3 to 5 years:

• Encourage to “help” - pour or dump ingredients when making cookies, Jell-O etc.

• Let them have their own set of measuring cups & spoons for the sandbox and wading pool or

bath.

• Let them tear lettuce for salad, wash fruits and vegetables together.

• Enjoy the clean-up…let them lick the bowl or spoon, “because they were such good helpers”

Ages 4 to 7 years:

• Allow them to measure some of the ingredients, such as flour, water, sugar

• Allow them to sift dry ingredients

• Let them spread butter or peanut butter on bread for sandwiches

• Let them stir the batter for muffins, cake, pancakes

• Children this age can learn to set the table correctly

• Ask for their decisions such as chocolate or white cake, oatmeal or vanilla cookies

Ages 6 to 8

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Let chop nuts for cookies using the Food Chopper

Children can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the Cut ’N Seal

Allow them to open cans and drain, using the Pampered Chef can opener

Let grate carrots and mix carrot and raisins and other salads

Let frost cookies or cupcakes

Show them how to peel potatoes, carrots and apples with the Vegetable Peeler

Children can use a My Safe Cutter to cut up cooked potatoes or other soft foods

Ages 8 to 12 years:

• Let mix and bake cookies or a cake from a mix, supervising the removal from the oven, setting

the oven temperature and timer, and use of the mixer, if used.

• Let mix together potato or macaroni salad, including chopping onion, pickle and other

ingredients.

• Let them turn pancakes or French toast on the griddle.

• Allow to make biscuits, Jell-O, pizza or macaroni and cheese or other pre-packaged convenience

foods with minimal supervision.

Teens:

Presuming they have done the above, let bake cookies, brownies or cakes independently

Encourage them to make an item for the family meal

Allow them to try piecrust or yeast bread from scratch

Incorporate the “science” of cooking, such as what happens with yeast and other leavening

agents, and keeping sauces and custards smooth

• Encourage them to make something as a gift for a teacher, relative or friend

• Encourage learning to prepare a “show off” dish that they can fix independently when their own

friends come for dinner. Chili, BBQ beef or chicken, omelets, pizza and soft tacos or taco

salad are all suitable and easy

•

•

•

•