We know that it can be easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to feeding our families. When you are contending with picky eaters, time constraints, and sleep deprivation, meal planning and food prep can often feel overwhelming. The BVTMB team along with our sponsor, Healthy Living, is here to provide some fresh perspective and inspiration in the kitchen! From meal ideas to how to feed those picky eaters, we are excited to talk about all things food these next few weeks in our “Growing Up Gourmet, Beyond the PB&J” series.

Getting Your Kids In the Kitchen At Healthy Living

We love cooking here in the Learning Center at Healthy Living Market.

We also love kids. And we think when you put kids and cooking together, you get an experience that’s as good as locally-grown strawberries with freshly-whipped (local) cream. Or humanely-raised chicken with local buttermilk biscuits. Or freshly-ground peanut butter with homemade jam. Or… you get the idea.

A kid participating in the kitchen is only natural, and we love to help that happen!

With our Kids in the Kitchen classes, children are immersed in the cooking process and they have a seriously fun time! They chop, stir, fold, caramelize- you name it- with our help and guidance, making anything from pizza sliders to tie-dye smoothies to fruit-sushi (“frushi”)! Our classes are hands-on, informative, and explorative, where each student can dig in to the tasks at hand (often literally) and learn basic kitchen safety, terms, and techniques along the way. When we cook onions we don’t just say “cook”; we say “sweat” or “caramelize”.  Why?

Because we believe learning about food is just as important as having fun with it!

And our hope is that students will take what they learn in our classes and share it with you back at home; wouldn’t it be nice for them to make dinner sometime?!

Feel free to check out and sign up for our upcoming Kids in the Kitchen classes by clicking here. You can also check out one of BVTMB’s writers review of our kid’s cooking class!

We look forward to having your kids join us in this great big world of gourmet food made for, and by, them!

Written by Erin McGuire, Demo Coordinator/Learning Center Assistant

Erin’s background as a farmer, apprentice cheese maker, and nutrition educator informs her perspective and her passions; her love for healthy, home-cooked meals is at the core of her being. She is endlessly eager to try new foods and test new recipes and loves all things sweet! Erin’s seasonal focus means she incorporates as many fresh local ingredients as possible into her meals and she considers herself lucky to live in an area with such easy access to local goods.