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Kids can make a meal and eat it too!
The mere fact that Food Network channel counts 15 million kid viewers and about half of this little population routinely puts their recipes online should be a sign of how cooking is more than just a good hobby for kids. Shows like Top Chef and Chopped have elevated cooking into a fun competition that appeals to both kids and adults. While older kids can make more sophisticated recipes, I had preschoolers in mind while writing this article. So can kids cook and how do you make it fun?
You can start some basic cooking with your toddler helping you in the kitchen. Preschoolers will be more adept at recognizing numbers (and there is a lot of math involved in cooking), colors (helpful in distinguishing foods too) and following directions. Young Chefs Academy, which has been teaching cooking classes to children since 2003, accepts children as young as 3 years old, but they also offer parent and me classes for the 2-year olds. According to Jennifer Fox, Owner of the Young Chefs Academy in Sandy Springs, GA, preschoolers (3-5) learn the basics of cutting (using safety scissors), mixing and learning about ingredients. Chefs over 5 learn the actual recipes and participate in food preparation as a group.
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Get Ready for Pregnancy in 10 easy steps
Whether you are planning to get pregnant or hope it will happen one day, these pregnancy readiness steps will help you conceive a healthier baby and stay healthier yourself.
It's easy to approach pregnancy nonchalantly - it's been done for thousands of years. But many women, upon delivery, wish they did something differently during pregnancy.
Taking prenatal vitamins and cutting caffeine are well-known facts, but they are only a small part of what you could know to empower yourself through a better pregnancy. We've compiled the top 10 things you should do before conceiving.
1. Get to your best weight now. Losing weight is known to have many advantages but especially so for pregnant women. Your BMI is particularly important. A study in Human Reproduction showed that for every BMI point above 29 your chances of conceiving drop 4%. In addition to easier conception, being at a good weight when you get pregnant will make it easier to go through 9 months of potentially gaining 15-30 pounds. Take the load off now and spend time on getting as close as you can to your ideal weight. This may not necessarily mean losing, you may need to gain a few pounds to get stronger and eat more nutritiously. There are several sites and tools that help you calculate what your ideal weight is, though few take into account your muscle mass, so use your best judgment. Some helpful calculators include:
