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KIDS IN KITCHEN
Majority of kids are not a great fan of cooking or food. As parents it is our responsibility to teach our children the importance of eating balanced diet and cooking to lead a healthy life. Here, I would like to share a few tips that would generate curiosity in food and make food and cooking interesting for kids. These tips will help children develop a desire to try different varieties of food and hopefully that would stay with them for their life. The most important thing is to let them know that there are alternative ways to eat vegetables are available and there is nothing more interesting as in experimenting with food.
Being a chef, I do create dishes to initiate interest in kids. Some of my tips are
1. Add colours
For example, my kids do not like Indian roties or chapatis. Therefore, I make chapati with vegetable purées like spinach puree or carrot puree, so they get more attracted with the colours to try green or orange roties. Adding more colours to your meal such as vegetables and fruits will give more brightness to the day.
2. Different food shows different properties
Here my idea is making them understand how food differs in its properties to heat. It will be surprising for them to see boiling water can make potato soft and egg hard.
3. Try shapes
Sometimes I make English alphabets with my potato mash mixed with carrot and peas in it. It is how to make their meal more interesting.
4. Include children in in preparing dishes
Encourage children to help preparing dishes. Allow them to pick the veggies from fridge and to wash and peel (if they are taught to do it with peelers) to make a dish. This will not only generate an interest on having the meal but also make kids realise the hard work behind cooking.
5. Try linking season in cooking
Try adding seasonality to diet. Vegetables and fruits provides the best taste and quality when it is in its season.
Spring provides best tender asparagus, purple broccoli, sprouts etc whereas in winter it is best to have fabulous roots and leafy vegetables.
6. Grow own vegetables, herbs, and fruits
Include children in growing and caring own vegetables, herbs, and fruits in your garden. Make them understand the value of food and educate the importance of healthy diet in life.
ഷെഫ് ജോമോൻ കുര്യാക്കോസ്
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