Whether we like it or not, mindful or on autopilot, we are passing on life skills to whomever is there to witness our life. Children, grandchildren, friends, co workers, spouses, neighbors, all whom we interact with on a daily basis we can influence with intention.
One of life's most important skills is to be able to cook for yourself and others. These skills could be learned in an array of institutions, the Internet, the cooking channels, food network, but are best passed on from one person to the next in the comfort of your childhood home kitchen.
Children are very impressionable and willing to learn new skills as long as they are fun. It is always best to involve your children in the shopping and cooking process while they are very young, which allows them to join in on the decision making of eating healthy meals and gives them a sense of control. Instead of being told what they will be having for dinner, they are involved in the planning of the meal to be enjoyed by the family. Don't underestimate what a two year old can come up with if given the opportunity!
By adding fast, processed foods and omitting the shopping and cooking of whole foods to save time, we are shortening the healthy elder years to come and setting ourselves up for a myriad of health problems.
We need to bring back the good olde fashioned way of doing things, one meal at a time, one day at a time, and stop trying to save time with short cuts, which will have us paying for it with our health well into our future.
Here are three fun ways to get you started!
Life Skill Part 1
Post a shopping list on the fridge or pantry in your kitchen. As you list the ingredients you should involve your child in that process by asking what they would like for dinner that week. Meanwhile, make healthy suggestions they can choose from. As you plan the menu for the week it will help prompt the ingredients needed for that weeks meals and your child will understand the purpose for the list.
Life Skill Part 2
Take them shopping and make a game of looking for the items that are on the list. They can point them out while seated in the cart or if old enough they could help find and place the items in the cart.
( Do not attempt this activity if you or your child are hungry or tired.)
Life Skill Part 3
When you bring the items home, have your child help with putting things away. At this time they will learn what is stored in the pantry, what needs refrigeration or freezing. All of these skills could be learned even if they are just watching you, but it is always better ingrained if they can be involved in the process if old enough. ( An 18 month old can even do it! )
As you are putting the items away, show them to your child, state the items name, where it comes from , classification (i.e. fruit, vegetable, grain, spice, etc.) and talk about how each ingredient will be useful to a dish that will be prepared.
( i.e. These are tomato's and they taste best when left on the kitchen counter. We will use them in our salad for dinner tonight. Thought provoking questions for your lil bug- What color is it? Is Tomato a vegetable or fruit?)
Remember to have fun!
Food and cooking are great conversation pieces and can create the best childhood memories to be reminisced over for years to come. So pass on your cooking traditions to those who witness your life and know that you will have played a very important role in preserving their health!
Bon Appetite!
"Brown Lentil Soup"
1 large white or yellow onion diced
4 cloves of garlic crushed
4 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp. dried mint leaves
1 tbsp. whole fenugreek
4 oz. of orzo pasta
1 tbsp. sea salt
20 cups filtered water
Heat coconut oil in (8 quart) medium sized stainless steel stock pot, add
onions and fenugreek and sauté until they sizzle a bit. ( approximately 4min.)
Then add lentils, sea salt, tomato paste and filtered water. Bring to boil, lower heat
and simmer about 20 minutes or until lentils are cooked but firm.
Now add the orzo pasta and simmer for
an additional 10 minutes.
Once everything is cooked add the dried mint leaves and crushed garlic.
Stir your yummy pot of soup, turn off heat and cover pot with lid until ready to serve.
Tips: You may refrigerate left overs up to 3 days.
Only reheat portions as needed.
This pot of soup can serve about 8 to 10 adults.
To make less soup just divide this recipe in half.
Enjoy!
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