Not to know how to get teens cooking dinner?

[Wahey79]

I try to keep on top of DS15 and DD12’s contribution to the household, and mostly they do what is asked of them, but one thing I haven’t cracked is getting them to cook the odd dinner.

Wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get this started? How much help should I give them to begin with? I was thinking they should offer, plan, shop and cook with minimal input from me, but I’ve realised that is just not going to happen!

I suggested they do one night per week on rotation, so not a heavy load, and they were up for it in theory. But since then nothing.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

I really don't think you need a meal box subscription to get anyone cooking.

How about tiktok? Both of my teens have seen recipes they like on there, we get the ingredients and off they go

DH couldn’t cook at all when I met him
but wanted to learn. He would pick a dish he liked and wanted to learn, I would teach him to cook it and then the next time he would attempt it on his own just asking me questions if he got stuck. He’s now a fairly decent cook!

I never cooked a family meal in my entire time at home (left at nineteen). Mine cook now and again if they want to but both do/did cooking at uni. I think a meal kit like Hello Fresh is a good way to go as both of mine enjoyed doing those.

I got my teen to add things to our online shopping list during COVID and to find a recipe to get a list of ingredients, check if we already have some, add what we don't have to the order. Then X day he's cooking for family. I overlooked the fact he tended to cook either Shepherds pie with a cheesy mash topping most weeks. We all like it so no problem. He lives in his own house now and cooks really lovely dishes and a wide variety. Last time he invited me over it was beef and leek stew with Herby dumplings cooked in a huge Dutch oven. It had red wine in it and I really enjoyed it. He told me it wasn't difficult. Large pack of chunks of beef, lightly coat with flour, chop up a leek and some carrots into thick pennies. Add a pack of chopped stew vegetables already prepared and a small bottle of wine, and beef stock. Cook slowly for 2 hours then top up with beef stock, add Herby dumplings and cook for another 45 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes. Pretty much idiot proof. Challenge them to a cook off.

If they are on social media tell them to look for a dish that they want to cook. My DD just made some kind of Alfredo pasta that she had seen on TikTok lots of cooking stuff goes viral and it’s easy quick food that is great for kids starting to cook

Also tried to teach them some staples that they can put in the air fryer – we always have marinated chicken so DC just need to put that in the air fryer and prep some sides and salad, et cetera

I found those boxes great for me and my kids to cook together. You don’t have to have a lifetime subscription seven days a week. They can be really helpful for people starting out and there’s minimum waste. We have enough of their recipe cards now to use them without having to order anymore boxes. My son took some of the cards with him when he went away to his dad’s for a few days.

Asking them to plan/shop is a bit much for 12 and 15.

Either decide what you want them to cook, give them the recipe and tell them they can make it on day X.

Or give them a student cook book, ask them to pick a recipe and then you add the ingredients to your weekly shop so everything is available to them on their agreed day.

Mine don't enjoy cooking and they're not particularly bothered about food. They dutifully eat everything we make for them, but rarely with enthusiasm. They would never seek out a recipe and if I ask them to suggest one, they just look at me blankly and shrug.

This is why I think a meal kit is a great idea - it gives them a jumping-off point.

Agree with others, a set night per week. Let them choose what they're doing. I wouldn't bother getting them to sort all ingredients yet... baby steps. My mum used to make me cook one meal a week and I always used to make the same thing 🙃 but it gave me cooking skills when my friends didn't have them!

We do gousto. They pick what they are happy to cook for us all. Started with helping them chop the ingredients, but now they tend to do everything themselves.
Ds (at uni) is often bemused by his house mates cooking skills.
Reading a recipe is a good life skill imo

It just feels like this thread was created to market meal subscription boxes... Obviously it's one way to get people to cook, but it certainly isn't necessary. Generations of people have learned to cook by cooking with their families or using cook books.
If they like a meal, get the ingredients, show them how to make it, ask them to make it themselves next time.
If the aim is for them to take on the responsibility of making dinner as a contribution to family life, then if they have no interest, just ask them to cook something specific everyone enjoys, make sure they know how and that's it.
Once they leave home it's up to them how much interest they have, but at least they'll be vaguely competent. But then cooking is not rocket science, anyone is capable of following a simple recipe.

I've been using Simply Cook at the moment for meal inspiration (so it comes with 3 pots of paste/ herbs etc.)

It normally has a recipe with about 3/4 ingredients you buy from the supermarket and each meal takes about 20 minutes and is usually just a one pot meal.

Alternatively I'd teach them a ragu recipe that can be the base of bolognese, chilli, lasagne etc.

To get started it's much easier to write put instructions for a family fav/basic. Mine learnt spaghetti bol/shepherd's pie.
Add that to the weekly menu.
Lavish praise "it's better than mind etc etc"

I’d go for Simply Cook kits before anything like HF. You get the spices and recipe and pick up the ingredients yourself. Few of the kits are sold in supermarkets and the ones I’ve used have been tasty and easy.

Lots of pasta dishes, or things like jerk chicken. You could get them to build up a “bank” of recipes that they rotate.

My DC (13 and 15) cook, but only do full meal planning and shopping in school holidays.

In term time, I plan something easy and text to remind them to do it (eg baked potatoes and tuna mix).

In the school holidays, I ask them to plan ahead, put ingredients on the shipping list, and make a proper meal including vegetables once a week. One loves the slow cooker as she can get it done early and forget about it. The other is more varied. They’re both getting quite good at substituting ingredients or adapting recipes if needed, without texting me.

Meal kits won't help them when they need to live independently and cook on a budget. They also condition you to not think for yourself. Get them to help you individually and pick up the basic skills like prepping and cooking veg etc.

Bit much?
It's batshit, imo.
I never enjoyed food or preparing it and fortunately never needed to cook from scratch.
On the other hand, I would clean the apartment for the whole family, including bathroom, toilet, shoes etc without any issues.
Wonder if the OP would trade one contribution for another 😊

Lots of supermarkets do stir fry kits...or deals where you buy a bag of stir fry veg, noodles and a sauce

Yup mine loves cooking hello fresh and will do it 2/3 times a week easily

Dts cook each week night, it's just a thing. If they don't like or want to cook get them to do something else, washing, hanging sorting etc

Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread.

Teach them!
What's their favourite meal that you cook?
Simply this and help them cook it ...just shadow but let them do it. I would say that they luck confidence, so being present will get things going.

I started both DC off with this simple pasta bake:
All you need is any shape pasta, passata, a splash of oil and cream, dry herbs and seasoning. Greated cheese for topping.

Boil pasta, all other ingredients to the passata. Place in baking dishes, sprinkle with cheese and 20 minutes in oven at 180°C.
The beauty of the above is that once they have masterd the basics they can fry some chicken, bacon, onions mushrooms peppers, hallomi or whatever and add before baking to make it more tasty.

How to teach kids to cook???

Hello Fresh!?

Wtf

That's not cooking

The whole planning and shopping sounds like there is nothing in the store cupboard for a meal; is that realistic?

The planning would ideally include to check what you have or what needs using up and only then buy the rest that needs to be fresh. I wouldn't send anyone shopping for a random recipe if you then end up with spices or something else that you don't finish.

The learning experience is also to think about how you can exchange ingredients with what you have, or how you will use the rest of the giant jar of new spices you'd just bought.

Otherwise this could produce a lot of food waste.

Just going to the shop for the ingredients for one meal and nothing else, where the amounts per package might not match what you need as family seems a bit mismatched. In that case, the planning should extend to thinking about what you do with leftover amounts of certain ingredients and how you could use them up for another meal.

Perhaps they've covered that at school or with you before, but I'm not seeing it mentioned.

Maybe you can look together with them for some youtubers or tiktokers who cover that kind of topic, or look for a recipe blog with the kind of meals you and they like to eat.

As you said they've helped you cooking, I would start from there, with simpler meals and few ingredients, and they can then become more complex as their skills grow.

@ForestAtTheSea - I don't know why you quoted me.
All I suggested was a simple dinner with (my) store cupboard items and minimal supervision.

I Personally I wouldn't get them planning with budget & shopping at this stage.

A simple what are you gonna cook on X day is sufficient on the main shopping day.
I'd just keep everything very easy & simple. Over complicating things can be very off putting.

Shopping lists and budgets are for when they are confident in cooking some dishes independently...

Get them to chose a meal. Maybe one of yours they like, or something on tiktok/whatever. But screen tiktok/whatever because there is a lot of spin. Get them to use it as a starting point but then find a solid recipe.

Help them find a recipe, get the ingredients. Be in the background while they attempt it, nudging as necessary, you want it to be a success.

Over time step.back and let them get on with it