Kids' Healthy Cooking

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Departing from the cookbook norm, Kids’ Healthy Cooking does not focus
on one type of dish or major ingredient, nor on a single meal period.
Jean Paré began by surveying children “to find out what they were
eating, and then set out to make their favourites healthier.”

The “healthy” aspect is reflected in the book’s organization,
which utilizes eight sections bearing “body part” headings like
“Build Dem Bones: Calcium for Your Skeleton” and “Pump It Up:
Low-fat Foods for Your Heart,” with brief, introductory paragraphs
explaining how certain foods contribute to that body portion’s health.
Each section, except the last, contains 10 recipes divided among
breakfasts, lunches, and after-school snacks, with a clock symbol
indicating the mealtime. The book’s final totals are 24 breakfasts, 27
lunches, and 30 snacks. The recipes bear catchy names and include a
“Get It Together” paragraph listing the necessary cooking equipment,
a list of ingredients with quantities expressed in imperial and metric
units, and numbered steps to follow. Some directions incorporate
creative “Bright Idea” tips for modifying the recipe, and all
recipes have a nutritional analysis. Mouth-watering colour photos
illustrate the finished dishes.

This truly basic cookbook makes liberal usage of frozen, packaged, and
canned ingredients and only modest use of kitchen appliances. The spiral
binding allows elementary-aged youngsters to follow the instructions,
which never exceed a pair of facing pages. Opening pages are devoted to
safety advice and illustrations of “kitchen tools and what to do with
them.” Closing measurement tables and an index complete the book.
Groaner jokes and interesting trivia tidbits occupy any “free”
space. Highly recommended.