Kids in the Kitchen

Host:  Dr. Jennifer Hunter, Assistant Director for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, University of Kentucky

Guest: Dr. Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Food and Nutrition

Episode 27

0:00 Welcome to Talking FACS; what you need to know about family, food, finance and fitness. Hosted by the University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program, our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families and communities to improve quality of life.

0:20 Dr. Hunter: Hello and welcome back to Talking FACS. This is your host, Dr. Jennifer Hunter, Assistant Director for Family Consumer Sciences Extension at the University of Kentucky.

Today, I'm pleased to have joining us, Dr. Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Assistant Professor in Dietetics and Human Nutrition. Thanks for joining us today, Heather.

0:37 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yeah, excited to be here.

0:39 Dr. Hunter: So, today, I think is a fun topic. We're starting to head into the holiday season. The kiddos are going to be off school and I know that we're always searching for fun activities to engage and to make certain that they're just not sitting in front of TV or playing video games. And one of those ideas could be having our kiddos help us in the kitchen.

1:02 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yep, 100 percent.

1:04 Dr. Hunter: So, let's start. And I know that there's actually a lot of research out there about this topic. So, tell us what research says about kids learning to cook and culinary skills.

1:14 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yeah. So, like you said, there's a lot of research that's starting to show us some of the benefits of having kids in the kitchen. They're actually health and physical benefits as well. And when I say kids, for the rest of the podcast, I'm going to refer to toddlers all the way up to kids, before they're out the door on their own. So, just keep that in mind.

But it's been shown that cooking skills and abilities to cook and culinary skills are actually related to having a healthier dietary intake among all ages. So, that is something that we know.

We also know that those dietary habits that are set in childhood tend to last into adulthood. So, that's going to be a way that they're going to probably consistently eat, even when they're out on their own. So, really investing in them in the kitchen as a child could have a major payoff many years later when they're essentially on their own and preparing their own meals on a regular basis.

2:05 Dr. Hunter: Are there specific research studies that come to mind?

2:08 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yes. So, there's one that I really like that looks particularly at preschoolers and school age kids and what they found was that preschoolers who were involved in the grocery shopping, even meal planning, and kind of helping pick out what the family is going to be eating and then the actual preparation in the kitchen, were much more likely to eat healthier foods, including exploring new fruits and vegetables.

And similarly, in those school age kids, they saw that food preparation skills were related to an increased likelihood of those same kids choosing fruits and vegetables when they were on their own. They didn't have to have an adult tell them or encouraged them. They were going to choose them on their own when they were given the choice and they also exhibited an improved dietary quality as well.

In both of these groups, the kids could identify more fruits and vegetables, and we're much more likely to try something new.

2:57 Dr. Hunter: So, for our listeners that listen often, I know that they've heard me talk about my kiddos that are really in two different life stages. So, we have a 7-year old and we have a 14-year old. And our 14-year old, he really took an interest in helping in the kitchen at a fairly young age. And so, that's something that we have been doing for several years.

And I can see now that there are so many more benefits than just learning how to cook or learning about fruits and vegetables. And one thing, and I just have to share this because you'll enjoy this from your nutrition background, is that the other night, he was showing our 7-year old how to read the food label.

And we don't spend a lot of time talking about food labels at home, but for whatever it was they were doing, he said, “Well, flip it over and it will tell you how much is in there and how many servings are in there”.

3:5-Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: That is awesome.

3:51Dr. Hunter: And so, just to me, that just really brought a smile to my face.

3:57 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yeah. And like you said, you didn't really spend time explaining what the food label was, but they're exposed to it. You know, they're going to read it themselves, they're going to explore it themselves. So, he had developed that skill on his own.

4:07 Dr. Hunter: On his own. And it was just really neat as a parent. I thought, “Ah, that's a win”.

4:11Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yes.

4:12 Dr. Hunter: Because we don't always get a win every day or every week even, so I took that one is a win.

So, can you share with us some more benefits about spending time in the kitchen as a kiddo, either with family members, I mean, it doesn't have to always be mom or dad. It could be grandma or grandpa or another important member in their lives.

4:29 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Their friend, their caregiver, any family member; you're exactly right. There are several other benefits related to being in the kitchen that's not specifically they're eating more fruits and vegetables.

We actually see that these kids are learning life skills. So, as previously mentioned, skills that are necessary as an adult. It's going to help them transition better on their own. Their reading and comprehension is tested. They’re looking at recipes and reading food labels and then math skills.

4:55 Dr. Hunter: Right. The math skills are huge.

4:57 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: It's huge. You know, they're probably going to know a fraction before they get to fractions in school, because they're going to understand what the fourth of a cup means. You know, fractions are everywhere, especially with baking, if they're working with ratios and things like that.

And then we also see that kids who spend more time in the kitchen have improved self-esteem. They have more confidence. They're willing to take on a project or something on their own. They may say, “I can do something” more than “I can't”, which is kind of cool.

5:23 Dr. Hunter: I think the family time is just important too. That it's quality time that we get to spend together. That it’s time I would be in the kitchen anyway, most often. And so, the opportunity to have them there with me and they're learning and as you say, I love the math skills. Sometimes, I'll be like, “Let's double that recipe” or “Let's halve that recipe” just especially with our older one to make him think through.

5:46 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: And if they don't like math, this is kind of a cool way to see math or science.

5:49 Dr. Hunter: Exactly.

5:50 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: It's another way. You know, there's food chemistry happening. This is turning to something, boiling water, you see it turn from one thing to another. It's little stuff like that that's exciting for kids.

Then also teamwork. Like you said, they're helping you. So, they are learning the skills of teamwork as well as patience. So, they are seeing that you're putting in work to something, then you have to wait for it to bake and then you get the results. And I think that's important for kids as well.

6:13 Dr. Hunter: And we should probably also mention that it also teaches patience to mom or dad or whoever the one is that's helping them cook because things are going to be measured correctly, and things are going to be spilled, and there's going to be a little bit bigger mess.

So, you know, in thinking about this, all this sounds great, but maybe my child is too young or I don't really feel like they have the skills or just really the ability to help out. Do you kind of have some suggestions about how we could engage those kiddos?

6:41 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Absolutely. So, there really are tasks that range from one simple action all the way up to a child or youth being able to complete a full no bake recipe on their own.

So, I have some specific examples for age ranges. So, again, this might be a good time to look back at the transcript, once it's finished, if you want to see these listed out again.

7:03 Dr. Hunter: Great idea.

7:04 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yeah. So, for your younger kids or toddler up to five years old, you want them to do something that doesn't have to be precise. So, think about that. It could be, you know, they're tearing up lettuce or an herb. So, that's something that doesn’t have to be precise.

They can help you wash produce in the sink. You can teach them how to wash their hands and how important it is to wash fruits and vegetables. They could sprinkle an ingredient; something that doesn’t have to be really exact.

7:28 Dr. Hunter:  I like that; sprinkle.

7:30 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Stirring, mashing, they could help you identify what you need for the recipe in the pantry. “So, let's find the pasta” or something like that. And then as simple as pressing “On” and “Off” buttons. You know, make it seem like a big deal that they are going to make this by pressing that “On” button.

7:45 Dr. Hunter: And the little ones love to press buttons.

7:47 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Exactly. These are buttons that they can press.

7:49 Dr. Hunter: Right.

7:50 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: So, for kids that are a little older, six to nine years old, much more advanced tasks. Their abilities are really going to be diverse in this age range.

They could start measuring dry ingredients, they could pour ingredients into batter, they could begin using a butter knife to cut up some softer fruits and vegetables. So, they're going to slice a banana for their cereal. That's something they probably could do with a butter knife. They could start grating some ingredients and then maybe starting to use some of those more advanced kitchen utensils, like a pizza cutter or a can opener with some supervision.

8:23 Dr. Hunter: Okay.

8:24 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: And then with your older kids, so we're talking of preteens and teens, much more advanced and independent, they could stir ingredients at the stove because they really understand that a surface is hot. They could start using a sharper knife. Working with those electric kitchen appliances. So, they could maybe make a smoothie on their own.

And then really they're going to start to learn those basic cooking concepts like, “How do you boil water?” or “How much time do I need to microwave this for it to defrost or to cook all the way through?” So, following recipes is another big one.

8:56 Dr. Hunter: Definitely. And all great tips. And I think, you know, just as parents, we can identify what my child can do, what they have the skill set to do, what they have the ability to kind of learn over time to do as well and they will learn just by watching you in the kitchen as they go along.

But I will say that, you know, my daughter our 7-year old, she'll often say, “Oh, let me help you cook tonight. Let me help you cook tonight”. And it can be stressful, especially when you've had a long day at work and you've had a busy day. And you know, she just wants to be there. That’s some time that she gets to spend with mom and she does, I think maybe in some senses, she realizes, “Oh, it has been a long day. I can help mommy out here. You know, I can really make this go better for mommy”.

So, can you give us some tips or words of advice for caregivers when they're kind of trying to manage that stress?

9:50 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yeah, I know this can test your patience, especially if you want something to happen quickly and in a clean manner, but remember these actions are taking longer for them because they are learning, they're exploring, they're practicing these skills and it probably took us a while to learn those skills as well. So, just keep that in the back of your mind.

View it as an opportunity to bond with them again. So, you're spending some time with them, rather than them in front of the television. And it's a great opportunity to introduce the idea that food impacts our health. You can start to have those conversations that you know our body loves it when we choose healthy food. You can run faster and harder at soccer practice when you give your body good food that's going to fuel it, like fruits and vegetables and whole grains and things like that.

And just to kind of wrap up; always supervise your child when they're in the kitchen.

10:38 Dr. Hunter: Definitely.

10:39 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Don't leave them alone. And then finally, I think some adults may be intimidated in the kitchen themselves, but don't let that hold you back. You know, you can learn together. No one is too young or too old to learn these cooking and culinary skills.

And I really encourage you to visit your local county extension office, because they're going to have a lot of materials, resources, even to offer programs and classes that are going to be focused on healthy foods and how to prepare them.

11:05 Dr. Hunter: That was certainly going to be one of the last things that I mentioned as well that our older child, our son, that when he first started really helping in the kitchen, it was after we had gone through a cooking class together. And they gave him the knife there and I kind of developed this panic and they said, “Mom, he's old enough to learn to chop a pepper. We're going to teach him how to chop a pepper” and that's definitely something that you can reach out to your local county extension office that they can help you identify those resources.

So, great tips, Heather. Thank you so much for sharing with us today and joining us.

11:38 Dr. Norman-Burgdolf: Yeah, thank you.

11:39 Thank you for listening to Talking FACS. We deliver programs focusing on nutrition, health, resource management, family development and civic engagement. If you enjoy today's podcast, have a question or a show topic idea, leave a ‘Like’ and comment on Facebook @UKFCSExt. Visit us online at fcs.uky.edu or contact your local extension agent for Family and Consumer Sciences. We build strong families. It starts with us.