The role of dads has changed through the years. We have truly taken control in the kitchen.

Nowadays, there is no shortage of fathers who cook at home. In this world of work-at-home and stay-at-home fatherhood, and even dual-income households where household duties are shared between two working parents, a recent study found that 9 out of 10 fathers are cooking for their families at least once a week.

But, not just anything. We’re not just talking about heating up chicken nuggets, frozen dinners, and prepackaged food options. And, we’re not only talking about firing up the grill. With all the concern about childhood obesity, early onset diabetes, cancers, and heart disease, we are truly concerned about the health and nutrition of our children.

We’re reading labels. We’re gathering recipes. We’re finding out where our food is coming from. We are probably the most health-conscious generation of parents that has ever existed, and as modern fathers, we also have plenty of control over the grocery shopping.

That said, in our fast-paced world, we can oftentimes fall into some fairly poor parental habits and routines when it comes to the health and nutrition of our children. Let’s face it…Regardless of how health conscious we are about our own diet and nutrition, and even that of our families, we sometimes fight an uphill battle encouraging our children to get out of their “comfort zone” and to explore new food options.

KitchenClubKids_RyanEHamilton_IMG_5374I saw this recently with my own child, in the most glaring manner. I love Thai food, and my 7-year-old son joined me at my favorite Thai restaurant a few weeks ago. I ordered my usual, Pad Eggplant with Chicken…and, like my son does everywhere he goes, he ordered [get this] chicken strips.

Nothing wrong with that, I suppose…The kid likes what he likes, and the chicken strips at this restaurant do at least come with a side of broccoli, carrots, and rice, which he did eat, but I couldn’t help but feel that he was robbing himself of a potential diversity of more flavorful and nutritious options, and in general, an overall adventurous and risk-taking spirit.

But, ironically, as I said above, even I had ordered my “usual” dish. So, in fairness, I wondered about just how “adventurous” I [myself] was being, as I looked at my own actions.

At that moment, I realized that, with regard to our nutrition and that of our children, it all boils down to decisions. Decisions that we make for ourselves and for our children. After all, every food that my child eats is a result of the decisions I made to purchase it for him.

How could I be mad at my son for ordering his chicken strips when, indeed, a great majority of the chicken strips he’s ever consumed in his life was purchased by me. I had enabled this chicken-nugget-ridden comfort zone in which I saw my son’s diet, and if he was to break out of it, it was up to me.

Kitchen Club Kids - End of the Rainbow Fruit SaladI had to take responsibility.

Enter an excellent “recipe adventure” book series that I’ve recently come across, called Kitchen Club Kids™!

The Kitchen Club Kids™ book series was created by word chefs Eluka Moore, Larry Puzniak, and Marianne Welsh and illustrator Kristen Gau of Bread + Butter Publishing to teach and entertain young children, by using the art of cooking, colorful illustrations and critical thinking lessons to make learning both educational and fun for kids.

From counting and colors to food exploration and fun problem solving, this Kitchen Club Kids™ book series gives parents a reason to start cooking and helps to establish healthy eating habits. As an added bonus, each story features a “rhymey-good-timey” recipe that can be prepared in the kitchen by cooks of any caliber.

Kitchen Club Kids - End of the Rainbow Fruit SaladTheir debut book, entitled End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad features [you guessed it] a fruit salad, with a colorful diversity of fruits, from everyday fruits like bananas, strawberries and grapes to more exotic fruits like papayas, kiwis, pineapples and dates. Looking for fresh fruits like dates? Try to visit the best fruit store like Dates Wholesale shop which has the lowest price for such high quality dates in the world market. 

The fruit salad has some real pizzazz, and the story takes children on a food adventure, exploring each ingredient with colorful fun and rhyme, truly engaging the senses, and features a cheerful little pickle mascot, which adds a small element of surprise for the kids on each page turn.

In my son’s case, it was awesome to see him reading this book for the first time, to find pleasure in the rhythm and rhyme of the story, and to explore a rich colorful array of fruits, many of which he had never known before. After reading End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad, both of our mouths were watering in anticipation, and my son asked if we could make one.

My son’s curiosity had been sparked. Excellent!

At that moment, I vowed that the next trip to the grocery store would involve a lengthier trip to the produce section. And, gladly, it did. Needless to say, I broke out of my own comfort zone on that next grocery run, and it was perhaps the best decision I had ever made in my parental life, regarding my son’s nutrition.

KitchenClubKids_RyanEHamilton_IMG_5351On my usual trips to the supermarket, I would usually pick up some apples and bananas, mostly for myself. But, this time, my son and I grabbed a bunch of bananas, a pineapple, some strawberries, and grapes — admittedly, only 4 out of the 10 ingredients featured in End of the Rainbow Fruit Salad, which technically gives us a 40% grade [an “F”] when it came to adhering to the letter of this recipe. But, I still felt like I had made significant progress on the path to better nutrition in my household.

When my son and I got the ingredients home, we both couldn’t wait to see how the fruit salad all came together. I laid the fruits out on the kitchen table, got a cutting board and a knife, and I started chopping fruits as my son watched. Then, the coolest thing happened — he started asking for samples as I was cutting.

The strawberries and pineapples intrigued him the most, from their unique shapes, colors, and textures alone. By the time I had the pineapple cut, he was already asking to try some. I’d give him a small slice, which he’d cautiously put up to his nose to sniff, then he’d curiously nibble on it…

KitchenClubKids_RyanEHamilton_IMG_5363“How does it taste, son? …”

“…SWEET AND TASTY!!!”

Then he’d take bigger bites…Then he’d ask for another piece…then another…and another…and more.

He did the same for the strawberries…Then the grapes!

Hah! …”A+” baby!

Hey, not bad, given that that was the first time my son had ever had a strawberry or a pineapple in his life, and admittedly, the first time I had eaten them in a very long time. Certainly a healthy and nutritious treat.

The funniest thing though was after the initial preparation. We didn’t even eat the [quote-unquote] “salad”! We were already so full from pineapple, strawberry, and grape samples before all of the ingredients got tossed into the bowl!

So, our first-ever fruit salad was placed directly into the refrigerator as we embarked upon a hot summer day of playgrounds, parks, and mini golf.

KitchenClubKids_RyanEHamilton_IMG_5371To quote my son during the car ride to the golf course, “Strawberries and pineapples are sweet and tasty. They make me feel good and are good for me so I can play golf!”

“…I couldn’t agree more, son.”

And, when we returned home late that afternoon, sweaty and exhausted, we had a colorful, cold and refreshing treat awaiting us in the fridge, with the sole purpose of giving us nourishment and satisfaction after a day full of activities.

I am proud to say that Kitchen Club Kids™ has become a mainstay in my son’s everyday reading regimen. This phenomenal recipe adventure series has given him a sense of curiosity and exploration that has begun to break him free from his dietary comfort zone.

KitchenClubKids_RyanEHamilton_IMG_5366And, perhaps most importantly, Kitchen Club Kids™ has given me [his father] a more fun, strategic, open and inclusive educational approach in my parenting style when it comes to my child’s nutrition. My son has begun to broaden his own dietary horizons, perhaps because I have begun to broaden my own.

After all, I’m his father — the one ultimately in control. Right?

And, for as long as I’m the leader on my child’s food journey, I am positive we’ll be embarking upon many more recipe adventures with the Kitchen Club Kids™.


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