Top reasons to cook together as a family

Cooking together as a family is a fun and fulfilling activity that can bring everyone closer. Not only is it an opportunity to create delicious meals and experiment with new flavours, but it also offers a range of benefits for parents and children alike.

In this blog, we explore the reasons why family cooking together is so beneficial and therapeutic. It’s a practice that has been done by many different cultures around the world for centuries, and we aim to uncover why. We’ll also give you some firm favourite recipes as fun family cooking ideas to try with the kids today.

5 Reasons Why Cooking Together As A Family Is Important

If you think back to your childhood, do you remember helping your mother or grandmother prepare meals or bake goodies? Most of us have a memory of making something in the kitchen, and these memories are, more often than not, good ones that make us feel happy, loved, and even nostalgic.There are a few reasons as to why cooking together is a very important practice within a family and we’re going to unpack them now.

#1 - Creating Memories

As we mentioned, cooking together as a family can create cherished memories that last a lifetime. It offers an opportunity to spend quality time together, chat, and have fun while preparing a meal. Discussing the preparation, cooking, and sharing of meals can help strengthen family bonding and is an opportunity to spend time with your children in the present without any digital influences or noise.

#2 – Skills Development

Cooking requires teamwork and communication, making it an excellent activity for developing these skills. Cooking together as a family can improve communication and problem-solving skills and foster a sense of collaboration. When you cook with children, they learn to follow instructions, ask questions, and provide help when needed, promoting teamwork and effective communication.

#3 – Promotes Healthy Eating Habits

When you cook as a family with your children, it’s an opportunity to teach them about healthy habits and promote healthy eating too. Encouraging kids to prepare their meals can help them develop an appreciation for healthy, home-cooked meals, and develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

#4 – Teaches Practical Life Skills

When they learn to cook or bake, children can learn valuable practical skills that everyone should have. They will learn skills like planning, budgeting, and food preparation. They can learn the importance of selecting healthy ingredients, setting budgets, and planning meals, all of which help to improve their practical life skills.

#5 – Encourages Creativity and Experimentation

Cooking can be a creative activity which can encourage experimentation and an appreciation for different cultures and cuisines in both small children and older kids too. It is a great way to explore new flavours and techniques, share ideas, and foster creativity and experimentation in children.

Recipe Ideas For Family Bonding

While we offer many different kinds of meal ideas and recipes for all kinds of flavours, offering family favourites is what we’re good at. We’ve chosen these three meal and dessert ideas as the perfect way to start cooking together as a family. Chicken Lasagne Lasagne is a firm favourite in most households! The kids will love learning how to make this delicious staple that oozes creamy, cheesy flavour.

Flavourful Tomato & Spinach Frittata This recipe is the perfect way to start the day as a family and is easy enough for the older kids to try to make on their own too. It’s flavour-packed and punchy and can even be ideal for a lunch meal or quick dinner option too.

Vanilla Cupcakes With Butter Icing This is how most of us learnt to bake, right? The simple yet perfect vanilla cupcake that is sure to be a crowd please no matter what the occasion. Give kids free rein to be creative with the colour of the icing and how they choose to decorate the cupcakes too.

Cooking together as a family is a fun, educational, and fulfilling activity that can bring everyone closer. It provides an opportunity to create lasting memories, develop teamwork and communication skills, promote healthy eating habits, teach practical life skills, and encourage creativity and experimentation. So get cooking and get bonding today! Visit Whatsfordinner today for more mouth-watering meal inspiration.