Start your week off right: make Monday family night!
The Kids Cook Monday is a weekly opportunity for families to take health into their own hands. The Kids Cook Monday provides examples of kid friendly recipes and video demonstrations along with nutrition and safety tips – making it easy for families to cook and eat together every Monday.
When kids pitch in making meals, they’re empowered to consider the portions, the vitamins and the nutrients of what they’re eating. And since the family that cooks together eats together, parents can check in with their children during dinner.
Evidence links family dinners to healthier life choices:
- Research from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse suggests that kids who eat family dinners get better grades in school, develop communication skills and are less likely to try drugs.
- The American Dietetic Association found women who cook regularly consume a more nutritious diet than those that eat out often.
- Pediatrics found kids who ate dinner with their family regularly were less likely to be obese.
Cooking also reinforces skills to help kids succeed like math, teamwork and following instructions. So start your week off right and make eating right a family night!
Featured Family Cooking Video!
Video from Julieanna Hever, The Plant-Based Dietitian
Featured blogs!
The Kids Cook Monday recipes
Lemony Potatoes with Fresh Herbs
This recipe comes to us from Tribecca Yummy Mummy.
Ages 4-7
- 2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 heaping tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons oregano, chopped
- 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- juice from 1 lemon
* optional
Adults: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. When you cut the potatoes, place them in a large bowl filled with cold water until you are ready to add them to the rest of the ingredients.
Together: Combine the herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Kids: Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl. Whisk everything together.
Adults: Spoon a small amount onto a plate.
Together: Add the potatoes, and mix it all together with your hands. Then, pour the potato mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour in enough water so that the water level around the potatoes is about an inch high.
Adults: Put the baking dish into the oven and bake for a half hour, or until all of the water evaporates and the tops of the potatoes begin to turn golden.
Recipe makes 8 servings
Calories 100; Fat 1.9g; Saturated Fat .3g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 152mg; Potassium 541mg; Carbohydrate 19.7g; Dietary Fiber 2.7g; Sugars 1.1g; Protein 2.3g; Fiber 2.7g;
More great recipes
Ages 4-7
Ages 8-11
Ages 12-15
Remember: be sensible. Always practice care and provide proper supervision to any child in a kitchen.
The Kids Cook Monday resources
- The Family That Eats Together Psychology Today
- The Importance of Family Dinners Columbia University, PDF
- How to Fight Childhood Obesity in 3 Easy Steps CNN
- My Pyramid for Kids (USDA)
- 8 Reasons to Make Time for Family Dinner Health.com
- Recommended sizes for portions Web MD
- Family & community cooking programs Family Cook Productions
- Kid nutrition tools and tips! Nourish Interactive
This family friendly Monday tip comes to us from our friends at Laptop Lunches.
Enter Foodista’s first The Kids Cook Monday contest! Submit kid-friendly recipes to be featured on Foodista. 1 of the 5 winners will be featured each Monday starting August 30th. Winners will also receive a Foodista apron!
Want to make your own The Kids Cook Monday videos? Submit your cooking videos and we might just showcase your family’s kitchen adventures!