Kid-Friendly Cookbooks

About author / Christine Gable

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

Inspiration. It’s what cooks everywhere are constantly in pursuit of. And that’s why so many folks love to read cookbooks. And it’s no exception at our house. Cookbooks make for some great reading—especially for kids. Sitting and perusing a cookbook with kids is a delightful way to find out what appeals to them … and what they would just love to learn how to cook (It's guaranteed to be different than what you would choose!). Plus, it’s time together that helps to inspire those much-needed everyday mealtime ideas.

I recently made it even easier to incorporate kid-friendly ideas by lining up the best of our cookbooks on a kitchen shelf for easy access. Best of all, that dose of easy inspiration is close-at-hand.

It’s been a good decision. Now we take a gander through them more often—sometimes it’s during breakfast, sometimes just a quick flip-through during a bedtime snack. Other times it’s a slow perusal in search of serious mealtime inspiration.

Do you have bookshelves in the living room? There’s another great way to make it easy to get kids moving into action in the kitchen. Yes, forget couch potatoes—try out some couch cookin’ by encouraging kids to put sticky notes on each page that catches their eye. Add the necessary ingredients to the grocery list and, before you know it, you’ll have enthusiastic little helpers. They will not only be more willing to try new foods, they’ll be willing to kick in and help. Sure, you may have to do a bit more clean up, but it really is worth it. Growing kids who are creatively engaged and care about their food and diet is definitely worth your time. Cooking builds those vital life skills of independence, perseverance and self-esteem that help make fulfilled and satisfied adults. Who could have guessed that whipping up a batch of brownies could do so much?

So make it easy for your kids to start doing their cooking from the couch, from the armchair— even snuggled under the covers before lights-out. Make sure to keep a selection of fresh cookbooks around—there are plenty to choose from at the library to rotate every few weeks. The results are sure to be delicious!

Here are two that we’ve enjoyed – do you have any favorites?

The Family Kitchen
by Debra Ponzek
2006, 192 pages

It’s a simple concept, really—enjoying your family by cooking together. Bringing the kids into the kitchen to teach fundamentals can actually extend the dinner hour and make for fun times together. Think about it—isn’t it easier to talk and laugh when everyone is focused on a task? And kids enjoy a sense of accomplishment when they discover they can make dinner for the family.

Hey, cooking together even opens the door to discussions about history, geography, math and more. After all, cooking skills are basic life skills—and all these recipes are designed to be made with kids—helping either a lot, or a little. The categories make it easy to choose what works for you—from snow days, summer picnics and winter weekends to kids parties, bake sales and desserts, you’ll find something delicious and nutritious from the 125 recipes here.


Cooking Time is Family Time: Cooking Together, Eating Together & Spending Time Together
by Lynn Fredericks
1999, 324 pages

It all began with picky eaters. Author Lynn Fredericks began inviting her kids into the kitchen to help—and not only did the kids thrive with mom’s attention, their collaborative dinner hours brought her and her sons closer. Yes, all that chopping, cooking and stirring together actually helped them find ways to talk about the cares and concerns of daily life.

And that’s what bringing kids into the mealtime process has in store for you. With over 125 recipes, from veggies and salads to soups, stews, risotto and raviolis, this step-by-step instruction guide can cook up more than just good food in your kitchen.