I had one of those stop-you-in-your-tracks mom moments this week. You know, the kind that makes you wish you could freeze time. That moment when you look at your kids and think ‘They are growing up so fast! Make it stop!”

My girls were helping make breakfast before school. Breakfast at our house most school mornings consists of a Shaklee 180 smoothie or eggs. This morning, Riley made the smoothie,

    and Reagan made the eggs.   

As they stood at the kitchen counter, braver than I ever was at that age, it hit me just how far they’ve come, how far I’ve come. I thought about the path of my life and the choices I decided to make to improve our lives that were really uncomfortable in the beginning.

Most of you all know that I used to be paralyzed in the kitchen! (You can read my whole story here)

But where I was the weakest, the Lord truly showed His strength in me! It wasn’t easy or fun at first, but I powered through FOR my health and my family! The fact that I have recipe books, teach cooking and nutrition and enjoy making meals today is truly a miracle from the Lord up above!

I love seeing my girls taking ownership of a healthy meal. I have found if you get your kids in the kitchen with you, they are more likely to eat what they make. Plus it’s a natural way to introduce new foods. They won’t like everything but at least, they’ll try it.

My girls helped me make Happy Tummy Lasagna earlier in the week. It’s an easy recipe to try with kids. It’s filled with a hearty grass-fed beef and tomato sauce but it uses zucchini instead of traditional pasta.   

Look at Reagan using the mandolin to cut the zucchini ‘noodles’.  

That white dome is a guard so she doesn’t cut herself. Safety is especially important when your kids are in the kitchen. Make sure you show them how all the equipment works. You might need frequent reminders at first about what they can and can’t touch. 

It was so fun watching the two of them recreate one of my most popular recipes.

Then they started getting really silly and acting like they were doing a cooking show. I just had to grab my phone.

I had to laugh because they were talking to the camera like they’ve seen me talk on TV! Our kids do listen to us! This was a totally unplanned moment.

Those unplanned, spontaneous moments of fun and discovery might be one of the best parts of cooking with your kids. It is truly quality bonding time that will leave you both with memories for a lifetime! I’d much rather they spend time goofing around in the kitchen with me than plopping themselves in front of the tv or being on their phone.

Cooking with kids goes beyond setting a foundation for healthy eating. It can help them apply the math they are learning in school. It’s a way to practice reading and following directions.

Do yourself a favor though and don’t try to cook with your kids when you are in a hurry. It’s a lot easier to answer their questions and let them truly help when you aren’t trying to get dinner on the table fast.

I’d love to hear about your experiences cooking with your kids. Where do you struggle? What do your kids want to learn next?