This article will discuss tips that parents can take to make cooking with their little ones easier. 

Cooking with your little one is a fun and effective way to build their comfort and trust with new foods. But when plates shatter, raw chicken slips onto the floor, or three times the amount of salt needed is added to the dish, it can feel like more work than it’s worth. 

Cooking doesn’t need to be overly involved in order to be effective. When it’s easy and fun for both you and your child, you’re more likely to make it a habit and your child is more likely to reap the many benefits – including increased interest in trying new foods. 

See below for our best tips on how to cook with your picky eater so you’ll both want to come back for seconds.

5 Ways to Cook With Your Picky Eater and Actually Have Fun

Manage your expectations

The image you have in your head of what cooking with your child will be like includes flour-dusted laughing faces and Pinterest-worthy dishes.

Turns out it’s far from the messy disarray that actually happens. 

Cooking with your kids shouldn’t be one of those things that’s only good in theory. With the right preparation and expectations, it can also be something that you actually enjoy. 

Anticipate mess. Anticipate imperfection. Anticipate things taking longer than they would if you did them on your own. 

The most important thing about cooking with your picky eater is that your child has a positive experience, and that you can be present for the journey.

Focus on the process

With having reasonable expectations comes having realistic goals. Your ultimate goal may be for your child to expand their palate. Be prepared for the reality that eating may not happen right away. 

Even if none of the food your child helped prepare makes it into their mouth, they still gain so much by being in the kitchen and interacting with food. 

Be okay if your child doesn’t taste the first – or 5th – time. Don’t give up. Focus on the long game and trust that your child will learn to comfortably eat a variety of foods in time.

Time it right

While having your child help in the kitchen is a great way to increase their exposure to and comfort with new foods, don’t feel pressure to include them at every possible opportunity. 

Choose a time when you know you can be present and patient to invite your child into the kitchen. It may not be for mealtime prep. It might not even be to complete a whole recipe. Whenever it is, make sure it works not just for your child’s routine, but for yours as well.

Think of a “30-second task”

There’s no reason “cooking” has to mean completing an elaborate – or even a full – recipe. 

Try just a 30-second task, a tip we learned from Heather over at Happy Kids Kitchen. A teeny tiny task is a win for everyone – it keeps things simple for you both and provides your child with an immediate confidence boost.

Here are some of our favorite 30 second tasks you can try with your child in the kitchen:

• Do you want to be the veggie washer?
• Could you please grab the broccoli out of the fridge?
• My arm is getting tired – can you help me stir the sauce?
• Can you sprinkle the cheese? 
• Would you mind mixing the salad for me please while I prepare the fish? 
• I need some help setting the table – could you please bring the bread basket over there?

Let go

When done to boost trust, comfort, and ease around new foods, cooking should be about the experience and not the end result. Whenever possible, try not to place too much focus on how the final product turns out. This allows your child to lead the way, learn, and explore food in a way that feels natural to them without the pressure of having to do things “right.”

You never recovered that rogue eggshell? Don’t worry about it! They want to add avocado to their pasta? Why not?

The more your child can explore and have a positive experience, the better.

Looking for some low-pressure, make-your-own recipe ideas that give your child autonomy over the final product:

• Fruit kebabs
• Personal yogurt parfait
• Build your own pizza
• Banana sushi
• Personal trail mix