Kids and Food Choices: What Would They Choose?

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

The girls wiped their dripping chins on their arms, smiling up at me with a sparkle in their eyes that came from much more than the juicy peaches I had just peeled and sliced for them. From much more than the bananas that the youngest always asked for.

Just the sheer exuberance that emanated from this small group of friends served to remind me of the ever-rejuvenating force of childhood energy—energy that we adults may find so exhausting or frustrating at times. Yet it's that same energy that bites into the best of what the last days of summer have to offer, be it torrential rainstorms, fresh-picked tomatoes or playing dolls on the back porch.

That energy in action—along with some imagination—can be a boon when working in the kitchen with kids, since most every task that needs doing can find an enthusiastic helper. Whether it’s opening cans, chopping carrots (big kids), buttering bread and stirring batter (younger kids), or helping to count or wash veggies in the sink (little kids), finding small yet simple tasks to share is not only sharing in the work. It shows young ones that it’s more satisfying to work together.

A recent survey commissioned by SuperTarget and conducted by Harris Interactive stated, “Americans consider family meals a top priority, despite today's busy lifestyles.”

Dr. Susan Mitchell, a registered dietician and SuperTarget health and nutrition expert was quoted in their press release as saying, "Families are busier than ever, and this research supports that eating dinner as a family is still a valued American tradition."

The numbers they touted:

• 84 percent of parents grocery shop with the family at least once a week.

• 93 percent usually prepare a home-cooked meal when eating dinner at home with their family.

In the release, Dr. Mitchell says it’s a good idea to involve children in mealtime preparation. And as you probably know, I wholeheartedly agree.

For not only does it reinforce good eating habits, theirs are another set of helping hands. This time together can even foster discussion about topics that might otherwise never get covered. I know my kids have asked me general health and nutrition questions when we walk through the aisles or read boxes and packages at home. While I certainly don’t claim to be a dietician, I am a huge proponent of using your common sense – and teaching kids to do the same. And food in its most natural state possible is what we aim for.

Take food. Add kids. Serve up questions. Find delicious family time.

My invitation to you this week is to ask your kids what kind of fruit they’d like to try. Is there something you’ve been mindlessly walking past that they’re craving? Peaches, nectarines, lemons, limes, Concord grapes or strawberries? It’s amazing what you’ll learn when you take the time to ask … and to listen.

Hey, I speak from experience. Yes, this week I learned that my son loves green grapes. Lo and behold, it’s better late than never.

Here’s to delicious discoveries and listening to your kids.