Nix the Picky Eaters

About author / Christine Gable

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

As you may know by now, one of the delightful things that I did on a recent press trip to the Holland, Michigan area was to visit a cooking school: the Artisan Cooking School in Grand Haven. Having generously opened their doors to this group of traveling writers, Chef Howard Norris (along with helper extraordinaire, Jodi) took us in and shared his expertise with us.

One wonderful thing going on at this exciting school is cooking classes for kids. Of course, there are also classes for adults (from Mexican cuisine to grilling and knife skills). While we were watching and learning how to prepare a sublime marinara sauce, Chef Howard shared some of his philosophy and anecdotes from cooking with kids.

Classes at the Artisan Cooking School are offered to kids when they’re at the perfect age for delving into kitchen delights: ages 4 to 14 (he said most kids in his classes range from ages 6 through 9). And since they were valuable, enjoyable tidbits, it seemed like a great idea to share them with you, my dear and loyal readers.

First and foremost, Howard said it’s important to create a connection with kids in the kitchen. Via connection, we help to take the mystery out of cooking, while at the same time remembering to have fun. He recommended sharing things with them that they can then continue to do on their own: think pasta or pancakes as good starters.

What I loved most from his sentiments was what I’ve found to be one of the most powerful currents in my own kid-cooking-kitchen: just talking. Oh, the discussions that can ensue when you have curious kid(s) and engaged adult(s). And oh, the places you’ll go! (Thanks, Dr. Seuss!) For kids ask questions and they’re inquisitive and they love to learn new things. It’s this kid-like curiosity quotient that we as adults often need to strive to keep alive and kicking too.

And it’s in this conversation and relating together about life that big and little issues can surface: the source of food, what they like to (and can) do for themselves, the combinations of food that go together and what they’d like to try making.

In the midst of this discussion, I couldn’t help but think of some of my friends and family’s concerns with feeding their kids, and asked if Howard has run into picky eaters and how he approaches them in his classes. Just like his classes, his answer was down-to-earth and practically realistic:

I tell them: “You don’t know if you don’t try it.”

So true, so true. And it could be said to be the same for cooking and engagement in the kitchen: the prep work, the selection, the washing, the chopping, the slicing, the sautéing, the baking, broiling (and don’t forget cleaning up!) that is the heart and soul of getting to know food and what to do with it. It’s what we need to share with our kids.

Getting kids into the kitchen, encouraging them to dig in, get down and dirty is the hands-down best-by-far solution for nipping a picky eater in the bud. Start ‘em young, be inquisitive and open yourself, be adventurous and encouraging. Food is fun. Kids are fun. Put ‘em together and you’ve got a winning combination.

And if you have a reluctant learner? Can’t go wrong with this parting wisdom from Chef Howard: “If you learn to cook at an early age, you’ll never starve.”

Now if that won’t get ‘em cookin’, what will?!