Cooking With Your Kids

After my daughter Sienna was born, I started making my own baby food because it felt natural for me. Making meals for my daughter just felt like an extension of what I was already doing. I’m a foodie after all; I love food, and I wanted to instill that same passion in my daughter.  But as I was doing research for my cookbook Natural Baby Food, I also began to realize how important it was for me to start establishing my daughter’s healthy eating habits at an early age.  Childhood obesity is an epidemic in this country, with 10 percent of children 2–5 years old suffering from obesity.  This puts them at a higher risk for chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.Dietary patterns are set early in life so it’s crucial to lay the foundation of healthy eating habits from the beginning. By cooking at home, you can use fresh, natural, wholesome ingredients, and teach your children to appreciate and love the real flavors of food.  As my daughter has grown, I’ve continued to get her in the kitchen with me and now she’s quite an active participant.  She loves cooking with mommy and enjoys prepping vegetables, stirring things, cracking eggs, and rolling out dough.

Cooking with your kids is a wonderful bonding experience- a way to spend time with each other, have fun, and pass down family traditions.  Not only are you teaching your children an important life skill, you’re also fostering independence, helping to instill good eating habits, and putting them on the path to lifelong good health.

So go grab your little sous chefs and try out some of my favorite recipes to make with Sienna!