Ben's Beginners Cooking Contest!

I am so excited to participate with SocialMoms to encourage moms and dads to get in the kitchen cooking with their kids, and enter the Ben's Beginners contest!!  Cooking and teaching kids how to cook, as well as about food itself, is one of my favourite subjects. There are few things more important to your child's health and future, as teaching children to cook.

Rice is not only a basic staple, but in it's nutritional value and taste (may I say...yummy), it makes for an easy "starting out" recipe. Perhaps suggest some whole grain brown rice with veggies; cutting up veggies are a fun job for kids (age appropriate of course).

Some easy tips for cooking with kids:

Talk, talk, talk! Talk about food; where it comes from, how it is harvested, how it effects your body.

Hang out in the kitchen. - Most families hang out in the kitchen anyway. Instead of grabbing the nearest processed snack, get some easy ingredients out and have them make their own.

Read a book - Give your child a FUN cookbook or watch a fun cooking show (Jamie Oliver is my favourite, the man is inspiring) and have them choose a recipe.

Shop together - Take your child shopping and instead of being in a hurry to get things done; Talk (there's that word again) about the food. Which choices are healthiest, read labels (very important).

Get cooking! - You have picked out your recipe, talked about healthy foods and choices. Now you are ready. The kids (okay, me) enjoy fun colours in the kitchen; bowls, spoons, spatulas. Turn the music on, put your cute apron (or not), and start cooking! Get cooking! - You have picked out your recipe, talked about healthy foods and choices. Now you are ready. The kids (okay, me) enjoy fun colours in the kitchen; bowls, spoons, spatulas. Turn the music on, put your cute apron (or not), and start cooking!

Set the table - Again, fun colours make it...well, fun. Fun colour plates, napkins; (cloth, of course) make it so exciting! Have a centerpiece of CRAYONS. (how’s that for colour ;)

If you make cooking a fun, family “thing” and not just something mom does, your child and your whole family, for-that-matter is going to benefit from it!

The whole point to all of this is; having fun. Body, mind and soul.

Happy Cooking! What are your kids going to create first? So exciting!! 

To empower and encourage parents to connect with their kids, one meal at a time, Uncle Ben’s has launched an exciting national contest called Ben’s Beginners! By entering the contest, you could win $20,000, along with a $50,000 grant towards a cafeteria makeover for your child’s school. In addition, you will have a chance to appear on The Rachael Ray show! Uncle Ben’s is calling for parents with children ages 5-12 to submit a 2-3 minute video of you cooking a rice-based dish with your children. For more info on the contest, please check out Ben’s Beginners on Facebook!


Follow Ben's Beginners Contest on Facebook!


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate. -click here.



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