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Teaching Tips
for
Cooking with Kids
Recipes
Teaching
Tips for
Cooking with Kids
Cooking is a great way for youth to
develop
the skill and confidence to prepare snacks or meals using fresh,
nutritious
ingredients. Preparing recipes with groups of youth creates excitement
about eating new foods. It actively engages them in a fun and creative
process. Also, cooking and preparing recipes provides youth with the
opportunity
to practice and learn teamwork and cooperation, communication, reading,
and math skills, and a sense of responsibility. Here are a few tips to
keep in mind when preparing food with groups of youth:
1. Washing Hands and Personal Hygiene
-
Always wash hands before handling food.
Adults
should demonstrate proper hand washing with warm water and soap.
Thoroughly
scrub all surfaces of the hands for the duration of the “A-B-C song” or
to the count of 20. Rinse and dry with a paper towel.
-
Youth should, remove all rings and
bracelets
before washing hands, roll-up their sleeves and tie back long hair
before
handing food.
2. Keeping Food Safe
-
Provide a clean and sanitized work
surface for
handling food. A clean, plastic table cloth can also be used to cover
the
work area.
-
Have an adequate supply of paper towels
on hand
for spills.
-
Wash hands frequently while preparing
food.
3. Safety in the Kitchen
-
Make a list of safety rules to hang on
the wall.
-
Students should always have adult
supervision
in the kitchen when using knives, the stove, or oven.
-
Only adults should put things into or
remove
hot items from oven.
-
Be cautious of hot burners, even after
they
have been turned off. Keep saucepan handles turned towards the side
when
using the stove.
-
Only adults should handle hot, melted
butter.
-
Keep the floor clean of debris that
could cause
a fall.
-
Keep a fire extinguisher and first aid
kit on
hand for emergencies.
4. Using Knives
-
Demonstrate the proper use of knives by
cutting
towards the table and holding fingers away from the sharp edge of the
knife.
-
Adults should cut fruits or vegetables
into
larger pieces first, then let students do the final slicing and
chopping.
-
Work with older students individually
when handling
sharp knives, by initially holding the knife with them, keeping fingers
out of harms way, and emphasizing the importance of cutting slowly and
safely. Have only one sharp knife in use at a time.
-
Younger students may find it safer to
use plastic
serrated knives or serrated dinner knives when cutting some fruits or
vegetables.
-
Secure the cutting board with a damp
towel.
5. Organizing Cooking Projects
-
Review and read through materials
needed, ingredients,
and directions before starting a recipe. Choose recipes that include
ingredients
that are seasonal and locally available from a farmer’s market or fresh
from the garden.
-
Set up work area at the appropriate
height for
the students. Oftentimes, standing at a kitchen table is ideal
-
Use electric frying pans or portable
electric
burners so students can see and do more of the cooking than possible on
a full-sized stove.
-
When measuring ingredients, use a tray
to catch
spills. Use large mixing bowls.
-
Organize an assembly line of ingredients
of
separate bowls and plates for salads, burritos, pitas, etc.
6. Other Helpful Tips
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Encourage youth to try new foods, but
never
force them to eat food they do not like. Model healthy choices by
eating
food with youth.
-
Provide a separate table in the same
room (away
from the food) with journals, coloring sheets and crayons so youth
don’t
lose interest in the cooking project when they have completed their
task.
-
Establish a routine with youth for
sitting down
and eating food together as a group.
If a student tries something that they
don’t
like, request that they quietly spit it out in a napkin so other
students
have an opportunity to taste it and form their own opinions.
Recipes
Note: These are PDF files and require Adobe
Acrobat Reader.
Raw vegetables and fruits
Stove-Top Vegetables
Baked Vegetables
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