One in three children don’t even know what chips are made of, according the British Heart Foundation. It’s a reminder of how important it is to start teaching your children about food at home while they’re still young.

Starting to cook

You can help your child learn about healthy food from a very young age. As soon as they are able to stand next to you as you prepare a family meal, encourage them to help with little tasks, such as washing carrots, stirring soup or cutting out gingerbread men. Remember to teach them that they must always wash their hands before cooking.  

Your first recipe to make together doesn’t have to be complicated. Alison and daughter Maddie, three, enjoy making jam tarts together: “It may be messy with flour all over the place, but it’s nothing that you can’t clear up easily,” says Alison. “Maddie loves being with me, wearing her apron and waving a wooden spoon. And if the end product isn’t perfect, who cares?”

Matthew, stay-at-home dad of Henry, 11, Sam, four, and Daisy, three, takes great pleasure in baking with his children: “I am by no means a good cook but that’s not what it’s about. Daisy and Sam love to get stuck in breaking eggs (sometimes even into a bowl!) and stirring and measuring the ingredients. When we pull out a little tray of wonky muffins, there’s such a feeling of achievement for them.”

You don’t have to stick to sweet dishes. Cheesy mashed potato, pancakes that your children can fill and scrambled eggs with toast are great ideas to start with.

Gaining confidence

You can get a bit more amibitious as your child grows older – why not help your six year old make chunky guacamole? Avocados are packed with vitamin E – just add a tablespoon of lemon juice, two tablespoons of sour cream, a tomato, chives, salt and pepper to the flesh and mix together.

Michelle, mum of Jordan, five, and Dean, three, enjoys cooking with her sons, especially when it becomes a family affair on a Sunday afternoon. “When my husband Andy gets involved too, I see the boys’ eyes light up. We all love a roast and because there are so many jobs to do, from peeling the sprouts to scrubbing the potatoes, there’s plenty to keep us all occupied. When we finally sit down, we really enjoy eating the results of our hard work and the children eat much more than usual.”

Matthew agrees. His eldest child, Henry, now thinks nothing of tackling a chicken curry: “I involved Henry early on in helping to prepare meals. As long as I can remember, Henry has always loved chopping things up, such as peppers and mushrooms, so it’s not surprising that he’s so confident now.”

The key is to lay down firm rules when it comes to handling sharp knives and heat. Make it clear to your child that they must never handle a knife or touch pans on the stove unless you have given them permission and are by their side. Safety is important but worries about accidents should not put you off cooking with your child.

Five a day

To get the best health benefits from your home cooking, your meals should include ‘five-a-day’ – five portions of fruit and vegetables. As a guide, a child’s portion is the amount they can hold in one hand; as they grow, so should the size of the portion.

It can be fun to go to a greengrocer and try some of the more unusual things on offer. Your child may not be a lifelong fan of kiwi fruit but how will you know unless you try? Ensuring that your child hits his ‘five a day’ target is also easier if you choose together.

Toddlers love crudités – sticks of raw carrots, cucumber and celery to dip in hummus or to eat plain. Other healthy snacks include grapes, dried apricots, raisins, slices of mango or a bowl of prunes. Kids also love to make their own colourful fruit- and veg-packed smoothies (although smoothies only count as one of their ‘five a day’). For a delicious, healthy smoothie, blend a banana, a handful of strawberries, a handful of raspberries, 150ml/¼ pint semi-skimmed milk, a tablespoon of natural yoghurt and a teaspoon of honey.

So get busy in the kitchen with your kids – they’ll learn an essential skill, and fill their tummies at the same time!

FIND OUT MORE

• The Art of Hiding Vegetables: Sneaky Ways to Feed Your Children Healthy Food by Karen Bali (White Ladder Press, £7.99) Recipe ideas on how to get veg into their diet without them even noticing
• Children’s First Cook Book by Annabel Karmel (DK, £6.99) Fun, step-by-step, simple recipes for little ones
• Gimme Five by Nicola Graimes (Carroll & Brown, £10.99) Ingenious and practical ideas to increase children’s uptake of fruit and veg