Fitting in “Fun” While Grocery Shopping and Cooking with Kids

Alyssa Rider, Dietetic Intern

As parents and caregivers, we know our growing kids need t¬o eat a colorful variety of fruit and veggies to promote good health; but how do we get them to eat healthy? Plopping down a plate of peas in front of our kids won’t do the trick. Let’s make it fun for them, and maybe in turn, fun for us! It’s time to rethink our day-to-day activities such as grocery shopping and cooking as “adult chores” and turn them into games and activities for our children. Including kids in shopping and cooking process not only gives you an extra hand with groceries and preparing meals, but it can also be educational for kids!

At the store: It doesn’t matter if you have young children or older children, one child or several; involving kids in the shopping process is possible and can be fun! Many caretakers like to play “I spy” with children as they stroll from aisle to aisle; for example, if you are looking at fresh fruit, say “I spy a yellow fruit (i.e. bananas).” Play guessing games; see who gets closest to the accurate weight of the apples you want to purchase (who was the closest?). It doesn’t matter how old you are, games are always entertaining! Kids can assist with checking items off the list as they go from the shelf to the cart, making them feel important and needed. If you are a money-saving coupon enthusiast, hand over the coupons to your kids and ask them to find the products; it beats boredom and can keep them from getting distracted in such an overwhelming atmosphere. If your kids are struggling with the math in school, bring a calculator along to the store and have them practice adding cost up (were they close to the final total?). Kids can benefit through continual practice and applying schoolwork to real life situations. Tasks such as these may seem small, but they have the potential to help build confidence and necessary skills for life.

At home: Flour Check. Fun? Check, check. Make “fun” the special ingredient while cooking with your kids. Keeping kids engaged and entertained can be easy; ask them to wash fresh produce, peel carrots, slice cucumbers, the list goes on! Snapping vegetables, such as snap peas or breaking broccoli into smaller pieces are enjoyable tasks that keep kids little hands busy! Ask your school-aged kids to learn how to follow directions.

Regardless of how much your little kids do, playing a role in the shopping and/or cooking process gives the child a sense of accomplishment and may help build familiarity with new foods.