Cooking with Kids
The Produce Perks program helps you stretch your SNAP/EBT and P-EBT dollars to feed your family more fruits and veggies. Shop with SNAP/EBT and P-EBT at participating locations and get FREE fruits and vegetables. Learn more about how it works.
Kid-Friendly Recipes:
Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients! But many kids are reluctant to eat them. The following resources provide great recipes and tips for preparing fruits and veggies in ways that kids will love.
Bringing Kids into the Kitchen
Bringing kids into the kitchen helps introduce them to different foods, which can help them become better eaters.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests a variety of ways to incorporate kids into the cooking process, depending on your child’s age and ability:
- “3 to 5 years old: mix together simple ingredients, snap green beans, tear lettuce for a salad, press cookie cutters
- 6 to 7 years old: peel raw fruits and vegetables, shuck corn, use a vegetable peeler, crack eggs, measure ingredients
- 8 to 9 years old: use a can opener, juice citrus fruits, check the temperature of foods with a thermometer, beat eggs, pound chicken on a cutting board
- Children ages 10 and older: slice or chop vegetables, boil potatoes, microwave foods, bake foods in the oven, simmer ingredients on the stove”
Toddlers can help by washing dishes, dumping, stirring, or cutting soft foods with a plastic knife.
Read more about their ideas for school-age kids and toddlers.
