Guy Fieri's Tips for Cooking Side by Side with Children


  • Start with the list: Ask kids what they'd like to eat. Let them help put together the family's meal plan.
  • Take them shopping: Let children help pick out the items for meals. Sometimes parents don't like to take kids shopping because they're a distraction. If you let them help, they won't be.
  • Choose age-appropriate activities: For toddlers, that's simple stuff like tearing lettuce or putting water in a pan. Older children can take on more complex tasks. Working with knives and using the oven or stove is for teens or adults, or competent preteens.
  • Turn off the TV: Never have the TV on in the background when fixing or eating meals. It's just a distraction and dilutes the experience.
  • Never give up: Just because your child is older, don't think you can't change the rules and get them into the kitchen. Fieri says bad habits can be broken at any age.