What age did you involve DCs in cooking/food prep? And how?

[Highlove]

I'm a keen cook. DD is approaching 21 months. I've seen on here people saying they've had their DCs involved from this age and younger. I'd love to involve her. And as she can be quite fussy, I think it's a good idea. I'm just not sure if she's a bit little yet? Or really how to start/what to do with her? What could she stand on to reach the counter that she won't fall off?!
Any thoughts welcome'

[caledonianclown]

We've got a toddler fun pod (they sell them on Amazon but ours was from eBay) for 19 month old DD, she stands in it and it brings her to the height of the worktop but she can't fall. She loves stirring a bowl full of water while I stir something on the hob. I make sure to keep anything sharp or hot out of reach though. We do rolling out biscuits and using cutters to make shapes, or kneading and rolling dough for home made pizza then adding toppings. My 7 year old DS has done the same since a similar age and he still loves to help me cook now. He's excellent at peeling veg and mashing potatoes now he's older, we're going to try chopping things next but under close supervision!

[BoboChic]

DCs can help in the kitchen from a very young age. Some traditional scales and weights are a fantastic investment!

[NotWeavingButDarning]

DD is 4 and loves to help in the kitchen. She's been involved to a greater or lesser extent since she was about 2. She chops a bit, stirs bowls and pans and does most of the 'tipping things in' and 'cutting out' as required. She measures things for baking too and likes to break eggs I fish out the bits of shell after.

She specially likes making things like meatballs or stuffing that you squish up with your hands and is a damn sight better at forming the balls than I am.

[Highlove]

Oooh I'd never seen the toddler fun pod. Hmmmm it's not cheap but I love the idea. Maybe a Christmas present - while she's too young to be disappointed that she didn't get some plastic tat!

We have a few fruit trees in the garden and grow odd bits of veg. I really love the idea of her knowing about/seeing first-hand the whole process - pick apples, make crumble, eat delicious crumble!

[Higge]

Yeast bread is a good one - the play and knead at the same time. Mine like to stir a lot.

[caker]

DD is 2 and stands on a wooden Ikea step stool, it's just right.

[gingerdad]

2 or so making pizzas and cakes and crunchie chicken and burgers

[Twirlstwirlstwirls]

Highlove - your post above has warmed the cockles of my heart...

'pick apples, make crumble, eat delicious crumble!'

[poocatcherchampion]

Toddler fun pod - a product for every occasion

[IpsyUpsyDaisyDo]

CBeebies have a good programme, 'I Can Cook'. All the recipes are on the Cbeebies website and they have a good variety of things that are quick & easy for little hands to make. I've definitely found that 3yo DD is less fussy about food she's been involved in preparing, pizza is a definite favourite.

[29herzie]

Our local children's centre did a toddler cooking course which gave me lots of good ideas. Maybe there is one in your area? Here are a few of the things we have found best. IKEA do large plastic 'mouli' style graters and DD2 loves turning the handle (and eating lots of cheese), we were also shown how to cut an onion into eigths and then let the children break it into pieces. DD can now peel a carrot with a peeler. Lots of veggies can be broken into pieces rather than chopped. Making biscuits is fun. I measure out the ingredients and DD its them in the food processor and pushes the buttons, then she does the rolling and cutting out. I think the main thing the course showed me is that you can tackle all sort of things. I turned up expecting fairy cake decorating and we made tagliatelle. The children helped to break the eggs and 'tickle' it into the flour and they took turns using the past machine. Banana muffins were also popular, using fingers to squidge up the bananas!

[WiryElevator]

Mine have been involved since they were toddlers - I found the child friendly Pampered Chef knives excellent. DC now 9 & 12 - the 12 yo makes meals, the 9 yo likes making pastry and baking. The 9 yo is making a Kringle soon, from the Christmas Book of Baking by Usborne. She will also make the mince pies with a little supervision.

[BrieAndChilli]

We have one of the Katie I can cook books and the kids take turns choosing something out of it, writing me a shopping list and preparing and cooking it. Dd (aged 7 ) also loves the cooking show that Gordon Ramsey's daughter does and has down some of the recipes from that.
I think cooking things does help with fussiness, ie ds1 helped me make bolganaise and we put onions peppers courgettes and mushrooms - all things he hates but because he had made it (and we'd chopped them small) he tried it and now will eat things with those in if chopped small.
At toddler age they can mix salad, mix cakes, stir food under supervision, tear lettuce, knead dough, roll out pastry, make crumble mix, etc etc