Cooking can be a hassle and a chore but it can also be relaxing and a great creative experience.  It's never too early to start teaching your kids the FUNdamentals of cooking and paving the road to happy, healthy eating in the future.

Let's begin with really young kids.  Baking is probably the easiest, as well as the safest place to start.  Your ingredients are mixed in a bowl, not on a surface.  You don't usually need to use knives, just spoons and measuring cups.  Most kids want to feel grown up and they know that cooking is part of being an adult, adding an ingredient or stirring a batter gives them that grown up feeling along with pride and a sense of contributing to the final dish.  Not to mention, the finished product of sweet chocolate chip cookies or a tasty cupcake will definitely put a smile on their face.

 As your kids get older you can start giving them more responsibilities that are still fun.  Ask them to make a salad with as many colored vegetables as possible. Challenge them to make cut or mold fun shapes out of the different veggies as well.  Making the lettuce in to a canvas takes away the chore and creates an art project.  Depending on how creative your kid is though.... you may want to give them a time limit.

Another sure way to get kids excited, let them plan the meal.  You may end up with bbq chicken and French toast but this will also help them learn what foods go together and what recipes taste better with one another.

One sure fire way to get your kids cooking...the promise of not having to do dishes afterward.

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