March is Nutrition Month and dietitians are helping Canadians to get cooking.  It’s a great way to connect together, eat better and enjoy. The slogan for this year’s campaign is Simply Cook and Enjoy! This week’s theme is, “Make Cooking A Family Affair.”

Kitchen as a classroom

Cooking with kids is a great way to teach important life skills. Learning to cook now prepares them to cook for themselves when they grow up. It’s also a fun hands-on activity that teaches literacy, science and math. It doesn’t have to be complicated – start simply and build skills. Younger kids can help measure ingredients and stir. Older kids can help peel and chop vegetables. Once they’re confident, they can help bake, broil or sauté. It might be messy. That’s okay! Your kids can also help clean up.

Are weekdays too hectic?

Cooking with kids can take a little more time, but it’s worth it! Learning how to cook helps kids develop healthy eating habits, increases self-confidence and teaches life skills. Here are a few tips to keep cooking with kids relaxed:

• Give kids easy tasks, such as stirring, when you’re in a hurry
• Cook on weekends, when you can take more time to teach skills
• Choose easy-to-follow recipes with lots of tasks kids can help with
• Prepare some ingredients before you start cooking

Have a cooking challenge

Cooking together is a great way to connect with your family, especially when there’s a friendly competition involved! Have fun with this challenge. Do it over a weekend or a month. Here’s how:

• Choose a cookbook, food magazine or website. Each family member picks one recipe to try.
• Each person makes his or her recipe for the family. Depending on skill level, kids might need a little help.
• When all dishes have been tasted, rate the recipes. You might discover a new family favourite!

Visit www.cookspiration.com or www.bettertogetherbc.ca for kid-friendly recipe ideas.

Yogurt Rainbow Parfait

• vanilla or strawberry yogurt
• unsalted sunflower and pumpkin seeds (raw or roasted)
• dried cranberries and raisins
• granola

Layer your parfait as follows: Granola—yogurt—dried cranberries—sunflower seeds—yogurt—raisins—pumpkin seeds

Every spoonful will be a unique mixture of flavours!

Try using plain yogurt and fresh fruit! If you don’t like the tart flavour, add a spoonful of honey.

Source: www.bettertogetherbc.ca

Set goals and track progress

Use eaTracker to check your food and activity choices, analyze your recipes and plan your meals. Sign up at www.eatracker.ca to set goals and track your progress.

Dietitians have a unique knowledge of food and nutrition to provide Canadians with practical advice on choosing good-for-you ingredients to cook healthy meals. Seek out Dietitians as the smart choice for nutrition and food information.