12/08/2025

LYFE TUESDAY | AUG 12, 2025

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Getting kids to make their own snacks is one way parents can sneak in healthy options.

Kitchen confidential them to make

taste of mint leaves if they have plucked it from their own garden. In the long run, freshness of ingredients will be secondary nature for these kids, always insisting on fresh produce rather than the dried variety. Healthy snacks Getting the kids to make their own snacks is one way parents can sneak in healthy options. Instead of filling the cookie jar with pre-packed biscuits, encourage them to consume goodies made with wholemeal wheat, oats or grains. Kids will then get used to the idea of snacks being energy boosters rather than a means of getting a sugar high. Well-made and nutritious, such homemade snacks can be consumed guilt-free and encourage healthy eating habits. For instance, kids will then get used to cookies rich in fibre instead of just being sugar-laden vessels with zero nutritional value. Non-dangerous implements The kitchen is, of course, a hazardous place with lots of sharp implements and hot surfaces to cause bother. But that does not mean it should be off limits to younger kids. Make a safe area for them to showcase their inner chefs. Start with implements that do not represent an inherent risk. Plan meals that will need kids to use a rolling pin for instance. Cookie cutters are a great way to get them started on this path. Safe and loads of fun, kids will enjoy the process almost as much as consuming the finished product. Get the child to make homemade pasta or noodles, explaining the benefits of the extra effort and it will not take long before the child realises freshly made items taste infinitely better! The main thing to understand is that it is a concerted effort. Preparing and enjoying meals together goes beyond a culinary experience, it allows for that most important and often under-appreciated value – quality family time.

suggestions, highlighting that homemade options could be healthier as well as less expensive. Homemade ice creams or ice-lollies are relatively fuss-free. Using fresh ingredients instead of artificial flavourings, it can be the first tentative steps towards a healthier diet. For instance, explain to the child why it is important to use less sugar and to substitute it with natural sweeteners, such as honey, and the child will better understand the meaning of “junk food” and the need to avoid it. Age-appropriate duties If the child is very young, start by giving them easy and non-dangerous tasks, such as picking out and measuring ingredients. Children will feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment when they have had a hand in preparing the meal. Older kids can graduate to using some implements such as a cake mixer or even a blender, always under careful supervision. Which child does not enjoy banging and smashing stuff? Hence, using a pestle and mortar can be an extremely fun activity for a kid. Similarly, washing vegetables and herbs can also be a highly educational experience as children learn to recognise shapes, smells and colours that will shape their next meal. Picking from garden One great way to get kids involved is to have them start a herb garden. Get them to cultivate and grow a variety of herbs that will find their way into the pot. It can be the standards in Malaysian kitchens, such as lemongrass, curry leaves and even chillies. Slightly older kids can try planting herbs, such as thyme and mint leaves. Tasting things that they have grown themselves will make them more open to new flavours. Rarely will a parent get a budding gardener scrunch up their face at the menthol

A previous article stressed the importance of healthy eating and recent data show Malaysians to be severely lacking in this area. One suggestion mooted was to get children involved in the kitchen, to give them a sense of ownership for the family meals. By exerting control over the ingredients used, good dietary habits, such as eating less processed food, can be inculcated. The younger the children are involved, the better as these habits have time to develop and to become standard practice. For pre-schoolers, here are a few ideas to pique their culinary interests. Sweet tooth temptations Best way to get young kids interested is to get them to prepare desserts. Appeal to their sweet tooth and allow o Tips on getting your kids interested in helping with cooking Ű BY R. BALA

The younger the children are involved, the better as habits have time to develop and to become standard practice.

Give children easy and non-dangerous tasks, such as measuring ingredients. – ALL PICS FROM PEXELS

Best way to get young kids interested is to get them to prepare desserts.