Related Articles

No More Food FightsLibrary Time

Make an Ethnic Meal with Your Child

User Ratings: Not Rated

Plan Ahead

• Suggest a few countries to your child to choose from for the theme of the meal.
• Find a cookbook that corresponds to the theme you have chosen. One with photographs will make it easier for your child to help with recipe selection.
• Read about why the recipes are a tradition.
• Help your child choose a simple menu that requires only one or two main dishes (generic side dishes can include plain vegetables, rice or salad).
• Talk about how you might decorate the table.
• Make a list of what you will need and go shopping together.

Making The Meal

• Assemble everything you need.
• Wash your hands together and explain why.
• Measure out ingredients and explain why it is important to be accurate.
• Explain the steps of the recipe to your child, and ask them to notice how the recipe is changing as you go.
• Talk about how things feel, smell and look.
• Let your child help serve the dinner.
• At the table, talk about why or how these foods differ from foods they normally eat.
• Talk about how things taste and what your child likes or doesn't like about a particular dish.
• Be sure your child participates in at least some of the clean-up.

Follow-Up Fun

• Make a collage of your special meal using pictures of the food you prepared.
• Get out an atlas, or go online to learn more about the country you chose.

Brought to you by