Resolve to Cook More With Your Family in 2016
Happy New Year! Lots of New Year’s resolutions include something about health, often eating healthier and getting more exercise. One easy way to eat healthier is to cook your own food. When you and your family cook at home, you know exactly what’s going into the food you’re eating. We hope your family is resolving to cook together more in 2016. Here are 4 ways to cook more with your family, along with tips and ideas for making it a fun family tradition.
- Join the ChopChop Cooking Club
If you missed out on the first six challenges of the ChopChop Cooking Club, 2016 brings more opportunity to cook together and win prizes. We invite you to join the (free!) ChopChop Cooking Club and pledge to cook dinner together once a month. Each month, you’ll get a delicious new recipe in your inbox. Submit a picture of the recipe to earn virtual badges and you’ll also be entered to win real prizes, like a subscription to ChopChop, cookbooks, and cooking gear.
2. Pick Theme Days
Maybe your family loves Meatless Monday, or Taco Tuesday, or Pizza Friday. Whichever day is your favorite, dedicate it to cooking together. Of course we’d love your family to cook together every day, but one day a week is a great start. If weeknights are too hectic, dedicate a weekend afternoon to cooking and eat the leftovers during the week together. Here are some ideas for our favorite meals of the week:
Meatless Monday: Beanie Burgers
Taco Tuesday: Fish Tacos
Pizza Friday: Any-Vegetable Easy-Crust Pizza
Pasta Night: Pesto Pasta
Sunday Dinner: Turkey Chili
3. Go Grocery Shopping Together
When kids go grocery shopping, they are more invested and interested in what is being bought. Have kids help find ingredients and cross things off the list. A fun task for young children is to help count. Let them count out things like apples or weigh vegetables on a scale. . Plus there’s a learning opportunity in looking for ripe produce, comparing prices, and learning where certain things are in the store. It’s extra fun to visit the farmer’s market together where you can often sample fruits and vegetables and talk to the farmers who grew the food you are buying.
4. Make Menus
This is a great chance to discuss meal planning and what kind of food to expect in the upcoming week. Have kids help make menus for the week and talk about how everyone can contribute to each meal. If it’s a really hectic night, a young chef can still count cherry tomatoes for the side salad and feel as if he or she has contributed. Have kids look through a cookbook or the latest issue of ChopChop to pick out recipes they want to try. It will make them feel important and as if they have a say in what’s for dinner-at least for a few nights a week.
