Few family activities are more enjoyable and beneficial than spending time with kids “playing” in the kitchen. We are not, however, talking about letting a toddler slice carrots with a sharp weapon called a “chef’s knife!”

The benefits of teaching children how to cook healthy fare are numerous. Such activities lead to deeper bonding between them and the adult(s) teaching them these skills. The children learn to become familiar with different wholesome foods and are, therefore, more willing to eat a wider variety of them.

Reading and math are enhanced by learning to follow recipes, cooking vocabulary, temperatures and how to measure ingredients. Helping to make a recipe builds self-esteem when the kids can proudly declare: “I helped make this dish!” They gain a sense of responsibility which also rubs off on other aspects of their lives. This tends to lead to better behavior as well.

One of the most important benefits of teaching youngsters the art of healthy cooking is giving them essential lifelong skills. Sadly, many of today’s young people cannot cook a meal when they leave the nest to live on their own. This inevitably leads to detrimental health outcomes when they resort to living on junk and fast food.

At the age of 4, little ones can be initiated to the joy of healthy cooking by “helping” to identify vegetables and fruits, colors, counting how many grapes you are adding to the fruit salad, etc. By age 9, they may be shown how to perform simple, age-appropriate tasks, such as mixing a salad dressing in a bowl, measuring pasta, herbs or spices using the correct measuring equipment, washing vegetables and fruits and learning basic kitchen safety and hygiene.

Make cooking fun-time activity a regular part of your family life, (with an adult always present!) By age 16, if they were taught enough for several years, they should be able to assume the responsibility for cooking a simple dinner once a week, for everyone’s benefit. Make the following easy recipes with your budding chefs:

FRESH VEGGIE TOSSED SALAD

4 servings

6 leaves Romaine lettuce, shredded

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped

½ bell pepper, (any color) seeds removed, chopped

3 green onions, thinly sliced, including their whites

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

½ tablespoon dried herb (oregano, dill weed, or basil)

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash all the vegetables and dry with paper towels. Peel the cucumber and seed the bell pepper. In a large bowl, mix the dressing. Chop and add the veggies; mix well.

CARROTS IN GARLIC SAUCE

2 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped

4 medium carrots, scrubbed clean, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons water

In a skillet, heat the oil and one piece of garlic over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remainder of the garlic and cook (uncovered) 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Mix in all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook about 12 minutes, until the carrots are tender-crisp.

HERBED MASHED POTATOES

4 servings

2 pounds red or white potatoes (4 large potatoes)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup water, or skim milk, or unsweetened soy milk

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Scrub the potatoes under running water then dry them. Peel the potatoes. With the tip of a small sharp knife, remove the “eyes” and blemishes. Cut into ¾-inch equal pieces. Place the potatoes in the steamer with the right level of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and steam 15 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, (do not chop,) and continue to steam 5 more minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Transfer the cooked garlic and potatoes into a medium bowl or pot and add all the other ingredients. Using a hand masher, mash the potato mixture until smooth. Now mix the mashed potatoes with a large spoon, as mashing does not evenly blend all the ingredients. If too dry, add 1 – 2 tablespoons milk or water.

Judy E. Buss is a syndicated eating-for-health columnist and blogger, speaker and nutritional cooking instructor.