The Mediterranean Diet is for everyone, not just adults! Eating Med style makes it easy to find healthy and delicious foods that the entire family enjoys. But cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other Mediterranean Diet staples also offers great opportunities to get kids into the kitchen. Here is some inspiration to get your whole family cooking together:

Skill Development. Involving children in the cooking process helps them develop a myriad of skills.

• Kids can practice counting as they add ingredients to the mixing bowl and fractions as they measure out ingredients.   
• Cooking teaches project management skills as budding chefs follow directions, gather ingredients and tools, and manage their workspace.  
• Learning to make meals at home means young adults will be prepared to shop and cook for themselves when they leave home.

Healthy Habits. Working alongside parents in the kitchen helps children develop healthy eating habits, in part because kids are more likely to try new foods if they have helped prepare them.

• Only about 10% of children in the U.S. meet the Dietary Guidelines' recommendation for eating seafood twice a week. Set the stage for seafood lovers by engaging them in the kitchen and building excitement about the meal, as opposed to asking "Do you like that?" once the meal has been served.  
• Research shows kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when paired with a flavorful dip. And being playful is always a great motivator for trying new things. Peanut and tree-nut butters are often more nutritious than other dips and offer a great way for kids to play with their food. Let them make funny faces, patterns, and designs on their plates with fruit, vegetables, and nut butter; create "ants on a log" with celery, raisins, and peanut butter; or serve a banana topped with peanut butter and jelly on a whole-grain hot dog roll to make a "monkey dog." 

Quality Time. Sharing meals with the entire family is a key principle of the Mediterranean Diet, a time-honored tradition in families all around the world, and a fabulous way to spend quality time with your family. Maximize the quality time by bringing kids into the kitchen to cook before sitting down at the dinner table to eat. Family meals are associated with:

• A healthier diet, including more fruits and vegetables, less saturated and trans fat, lower glycemic load, more calcium-rich foods, and more fiber and micronutrients.  
• Reduced odds of being overweight.  
• Less tobacco and alcohol use, depression, violence, stealing, and running away in adolescents.  
• Higher grades in school.

Use these recipes to get your kids started in the kitchen. (Click on the titles or photos below to link to the recipes.)