Liv Laugh Cook – Cook Healthy With Your Kids

Tiff cooks with her kids healthy & tasty recipes. She posts healthy and fun recipes and fun food art that’ll say goodbye to your kids’ pickiness.

How were you able to get kids involved in the cooking process?

Since 18 months old, my kids (Liv is almost 6 and Sawyer is 3) have been involved in the meal-prep process. We started slowly, and they immediately got excited any time they were able to measure, mix, or pour ingredients. Once they got older, we moved on to more advanced skills like cracking eggs, cutting (with kid-safe knives), and even growing, picking, and maintaining our own outdoor organic garden.

What advice would you give to a mom who wants to cook healthier for her kids, but doesn’t know where to begin?

I’d say start slowly. It can be too overwhelming if you try to change everything at once, and it also takes time for taste buds to develop a liking for new foods. Start with a snack or one meal a day and work your way up to include healthier items in more meals. Try baking rather than frying your foods or incorporating in season fruits + veggies into your diet. Be patient and eventually the rest will follow.

How can one feed healthy foods to their kids that are picky eaters?

My son Sawyer is my picky eater. It was frustrating at times because I was used to Liv who was a great eater from the start, so I’ve had to learn to roll with it. Sawyer loves sweet foods that include muffins, pancakes, and smoothies. I add veggies and fruits to these items so that we both win. He now loves banana spinach muffins, spinach+apple pancakes, and green smoothies. It’s all about compromise and it takes time to find foods that work.

Do you think it’s important for moms to get their kids involved in cooking? why?

Absolutely. It’s important to cook with children at a young age to teach them the foundations of healthy eating habits. It’s definitely a sense of accomplishment for them and a fun bonding activity for all of us. If they are involved in creating the recipes, I find they’re more willing to try new wholesome foods. Children emulate their parents’ habits, and at home I always strive to introduce my kids to organic, whole grain, non-processed foods.

Your recipes are very visual and fun, which makes it more exciting for kids to try new foods. Where do you get your inspiration and creativity from, to create these unique food art creations?

I definitely get inspiration from holidays! I love themed meals and snacks, so whenever a holiday is coming up (often times ones we don’t even celebrate), I like to draw inspiration to create fun recipes for the kids. It makes all year round a fun celebration!

What’s your favorite recipe that you think every mom should try out?

Tough question!! I’d say our apple slice “donuts”. It’s a fun snack activity that gets the kids involved by sparking their creativity (and using their fine motor skills!). Basically, you take apple slices, give the kids cups of Greek yogurt (or peanut butter) with spoons for painting, and a bunch of toppings such as nuts (if age appropriate), fruit, seeds, chocolate chips, sprinkles, granola, etc and let them create a snack tailored to their liking.

Lastly, any kitchen tales of cooking with your kids in the kitchen?

I think one of my shining moments was when I recently made Liv a dragon fruit smoothie (her favorite) and she requested I put spinach in it because “she likes the taste of it”. It takes time to get kids used to certain flavors, but when it works, it feels like you hit the mom jackpot. (Just don’t ask her how she feels about carrots… that one is still a work in progress!)