nutrition

Family Kitchen Now Hiring!
A new approach to your menu-minded children
By Tracy Adler

Like most parents, I do what I can to get a nutritious meal to the table for my children each night. So it’s frustrating when my good intentions are met with menu changes, substitutions and suggestions. The fact that I’m doing most of the work alone doesn’t help matters. I hear myself responding with the exact same words my own mother would use…“this isn’t a restaurant!”  If your kitchen ‘patrons’ see you as the short order cook, you may want to capitalize on your position and staff your kitchen to make meal time satisfying and less hectic.

As a restaurant owner, I know that running a successful kitchen requires the effort of several key positions. So assign the following kitchen tasks to one or two family members and your family-owned and operated restaurant will thrive:

Inventory & Ordering Let the kids contribute to the weekly grocery list and involve them in the shopping process. Let children put their favorite stickers on their personal selections in the produce department. They will look for those items in the refrigerator later!  When planning meals for the week, ask the kids what they might like for lunch during the day. Of course you have the right to veto the soda and candy bar submissions, but getting an idea of what the kids feel like eating is better than having to guess and deal with the inevitable complaints. And you might be surprised by some of the healthy choices they make for themselves.

Prep It’s important to prep your fresh fruit and veggies as soon as you get home from the store. When people want a quick hunger fix, they’ll overlook anything that needs preparation, so make sure it’s cut, diced and within reach.

Pantry Children are more willing to eat food that they have helped prepare. They take ownership in their creation and don’t feel that food is being forced on them. They can use plastic knives with supervision and can mash, stir and sprinkle just as good as any adult. Make simple requests such as preparing the dinner salads.