Start with these simple meals when teaching cooking as a life skill

Every kid should learn how to cook. This important life skill will save your child money when they grow up and move out of your home. Unfortunately, many parents don’t know how to begin. They don’t know what meals are easy and safe enough to get started. Read on for the first meals every kid should learn how to cook.

Whether you homeschool or your child goes to a traditional school, you can’t rely on anyone else to teach your child kitchen skills. It takes time to teach your child how to cook, but in the long run, you impart wisdom and great memories as you cook together! The bonus is having tasty meals made by your children!

Breakast: Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are a popular breakfast item for people of all ages, especially kids. It’s fairly easy for kids to learn how to make this breakfast food as well. Show them how to gently crack eggs on a paper towel or the side of a mixing bowl. Dump the egg into the bowl and add a splash of milk. Young children may need help pouring from larger milk cartons. Then, have your child scramble the mixture with a child-sized whisk. Next, supervise carefully as your kid pours the eggs into a pan for cooking and stirs them continuously with a spatula. Once cooked, you may need to assist with the spatula to scoop their finished eggs onto a plate.

Lunch: Grilled Cheese

A grilled cheese sandwich is a classic lunch food you can make with your kids on the weekends. Invest in a safe butter knife that kids can use to spread butter or mayonnaise over their choice of bread. Buy sliced cheese or show your children how to use a cheese slicer so they can add the cheese to their sandwiches. Adults should supervise the use of the stove for toasting the sandwich, and using a small pan over low heat can make this a safer experience. You may have to help younger children flip the sandwich over and remove it from the pan.

Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

While slightly more involved than scrambled eggs and grilled cheese, spaghetti and meatballs is still a child-friendly dinner. Younger children may need help carrying the pot of water from the sink to the stove, and you will need to supervise the use of the stove. However, pouring noodles into the water to boil them is a simple, kid-friendly cooking activity. Kids can also easily pour their jarred sauce of choice into a saucepan to heat up. Place frozen, pre-made meatballs into the sauce for the easiest cooking experience, or make your own meatballs. Kids will love getting messy and mixing ground meat with an egg, breadcrumbs, and desired seasonings. Plus, forming meatballs and turning them in the pan with tongs are great fine-motor-skill exercises. Once the pasta is ready, adults should strain it since the steam is hot, but most children can use a spoon to scoop pasta, sauce, and meatballs onto their plates. Lastly, to make cooking a fun family bonding activity, take a commemorative picture together of your delicious dinner before digging in.

Every kid should learn how to cook something for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These first meals every kid should learn to cook are necessary for children to develop the life skills they’ll need for eventual independence. You can also use these meals as building blocks, eventually turning scrambled eggs into omelets, grilled cheese into deli-worthy sandwiches, and spaghetti and meatballs into more advanced Italian dishes.