Cooking is Not the Only Way to Engage Your Child into the World of Cooking

by | Mar 26, 2020 | Parenting

Kim Calichio, owner of The Connected Chef, teaches us how to engage our kids in conversations about food and invites you to see ALL the learning opportunities that bloom from it!

Engaging in a two-way conversation around whole foods is the first step to establishing healthy and independent food choices for your child.

Cooking doesn’t have to be the only path to healthy eating though.

Beginning a conversation around food is the first small step any parent can make when wanting to establish or change the choices that their child (or family) is making around food.

 

 

Here are some great ways to BEGIN the food conversation in your family…

 

 

Take some time throughout the month to talk with your children about what real food is.

That’s it.

No matter the age of your child, these are conversation can and should happen regularly.

Name the ingredients you have!

Even if in just passing or when cooking, state the name of the ingredients you have around and are eating.

You can expand with the color, shape, and size or the various foods.

Comparing flavors is a great way to extend this conversation with older and younger children. We talk about salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami in all of our classes!

Talk about where your food grows

Connect the things your child eats with our planet.

This is a vital step to your child understanding that their food choices are bigger than themselves. Connecting them to the source of their food, even if in conversation, will bring a greater respect for the product and mindfulness over time.

What regions do your ingredients grow?

Does it come from the sky? The soil? A tree or bush?

Discover what nutrients are in different ingredients

Google different ingredients and find the nutrients they contain & the benefits each different food has on your bodies.

Frame this conversation with pure curiosity. “I wonder why it’s good to eat cucumbers?”

This will likely be a learning experience for you too!

The Connected Chef works with families to use food as a way to connect with one another. Our children’s gardening and cooking classes and individual family programs both allow us to work with clients to problem solve the struggles of parenthood and food. The results: Kids who feel empowered to make independent & healthy food choices and develop a natural respect for their environment and community; Parents who are able to take a breath and connect with their kids instead of engaging in the ever-present struggle of mealtime. Join our community and stay connected by following us on Facebook and Instagram.      

Cultivating Conversation Through Food

by | Jan 30, 2020 | Parenting

Kim Calichio, owner of The Connected Chef, shares her tips on how to use food to have deeper conversations with your loved ones. 

As with many tough conversations, food makes things a little easier to address. It eases our discomfort and insecurities and it creates a bridge between the now and more broad ideas. Using food to bridge that gap and be the container for some more difficult conversations is a great way to feel more comfortable with being vulnerable and offering a new concept to your children.

Here’s how I create the container for deep connection through food:

Make sure you aren’t already multitasking

This will require all of your attention. That means you should NOT attempt this in the middle of the work/school week when there are a million of other things happening and that need to get done. Be sure your mind is cleared. (I know…that’s WAY easier said than done)

Let go of expectations

The point of this space you’re creating is to CONNECT. Not to make your best dish. That means food is the medium and whatever gets on the plate is a plus. This also means letting go of an expectation that things need to stay neat and clean. Again – the purpose is to focus on the conversation. This can be tricky, so lots of self-reminders will help. 🙂

Have a plan

Having a clear idea of what you want to express and get out of the conversation will free you up to focus on the cooking a bit more. Having a clear idea of the SIMPLE RECIPE you will cook, will allow the food to flow easily and give you the space to talk about the topic you’d like to.
Here are some ways to start talking about food with your kids
Kim Calichio-27
And remember that this can apply to talking with your kids about their school grades, stuff with their friends, something that’s worrying you as their parent or anything in between. It’s also a great way to talk with your partner or a friend/family member about something sticky.
 
  The Connected Chef works with families to use food as a way to connect with one another. Our children’s gardening and cooking classes and individual family programs both allow us to work with clients to problem solve the struggles of parenthood and food. The results: Kids who feel empowered to make independent & healthy food choices and develop a natural respect for their environment and community; Parents who are able to take a breath and connect with their kids instead of engaging in the ever-present struggle of mealtime. Join our community and stay connected by following us on Facebook and Instagram.      

Cooking is Not the Only Way to Engage Your Child into the World of Cooking

by | Mar 29, 2019 | Cooking, Parenting

Kim Calichio, owner of The Connected Chef, joins us today to talk about the ways to incorporate kids into the world of food without necessarily cooking with them.

Engaging in a two-way conversation around whole foods is the first step to establishing healthy and independent food choices for your child.

Cooking doesn’t have to be the only path to healthy eating though.

Beginning a conversation around food is the first small step any parent can make when wanting to establish or change the choices that their child (or family) is making around food.

 

Here are some great ways to BEGIN the food conversation in your family…

 

  • Take some time throughout the month to talk with your children about what real food is.

That’s it.

No matter the age of your child, these are conversation can and should happen regularly.

  • Name the ingredients you have!

Even if in just passing or when cooking, state the name of the ingredients you have around and are eating.

You can expand with the color, shape, and size or the various foods.

Comparing flavors is a great way to extend this conversation with older and younger children. We talk about salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami in all of our classes!

  • Talk about where your food grows

Connect the things your child eats with our planet.

This is a vital step to your child understanding that their food choices are bigger than themselves. Connecting them to the source of their food, even if in conversation, will bring a greater respect for the product and mindfulness over time.

What regions do your ingredients grow?

Does it come from the sky? The soil? A tree or bush?

 

  • Discover what nutrients are in different ingredients

Google different ingredients and find the nutrients they contain & the benefits each different food has on your bodies.

Frame this conversation with pure curiosity. “I wonder why it’s good to eat cucumbers?”

This will likely be a learning experience for you too!

 

We invite you to come along and be a part of our community for additional support and opportunity for continued connection. Sign up HERE.

The Connected Chef works with families to use food as a way to connect with one another. Our children’s gardening and cooking classes and individual family programs both allow us to work with clients to problem solve the struggles of parenthood and food. The results: Kids who feel empowered to make independent & healthy food choices and develop a natural respect for their environment and community; Parents who are able to take a breath and connect with their kids instead of engaging in the ever-present struggle of mealtime.

Join our community and stay connected by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Kim Calichio, owner of The Connected Chef, releases a new blog series!

by | Dec 13, 2018 | Cooking, Parenting

Kim Calichio, owner of The Connected Chef is offering a new blog series where each month she will dive into a new technique of cooking. By the end of the series you will have the knowledge and confidence to begin to cook with your senses and without a recipe.

We want to tell you a little bit about a new blog series that we’re going to start here at the Connected Chef. Click here to watch the video! 


We have started a really wonderful way to run classes where we don’t just follow recipes – we are learning to cook with our senses. 

What does that mean? It means at the end of the day you’re able to use your intuition and senses to cook a delicious meal without a recipe. 
 
You need to know methods and techniques of cooking. That is what we teach in our classes! Cooking with your senses helps you understand why certain things happen and don’t happen. 

You will have the skills you need to troubleshoot. 

You will be able to easily cook within your budget. 

You will know how to cook with low cost, seasonal ingredients. 

Your meal planning will be easier. Your food shopping will go smoother. 

Our new blog series is going to help give you the tools you need to do these things! Everyone needs to know this information – and that is why every month we’ll be rolling out a new technique or method. Searing, braising…you will finally know and understand all of the methods you need to cook with your senses! 

I’m so exited to be sharing this opportunity with you!
The Connected Chef works with families to use food as a way to connect with one another. Our children’s gardening and cooking classes and individual family programs both allow us to work with clients to problem solve the struggles of parenthood and food. The results: Kids who feel empowered to make independent & healthy food choices and develop a natural respect for their environment and community; Parents who are able to take a breath and connect with their kids instead of engaging in the ever-present struggle of mealtime. Join our community and stay connected by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s Back To School Time

by | Sep 14, 2017 | Cooking, Parenting, Tips and Techniques

It is back to school season around the country and while my kids are homeschooled, my friend Kim Calichio volunteered to say some things about the adjustment period that is going on right now.

Kim runs The Connected Chef in New York and loves helping families connect to each other through the medium of food.  As a former sous chef at one of the best restaurants in NYC, Kim understands food at an intuitive level.  Instead of teaching recipes, Kim teaches techniques, because as a mother of two active little boys, she understands that sometimes reading a recipe takes more brain power than we have!

Join Kim in the video below and get some inspiration for making the adjustment to back to school.

Kim Calichio is the owner and visionary behind The Connected Chef.

The Connected Chef works with families to use food as a way to connect with one another.  Our children’s gardening and cooking classes and individual family programs both allow us to work with clients to problem solve the struggles of parenthood and food. The results: Kids who feel empowered to make independent & healthy food choices and develop a natural respect for their environment and community; Parents who are able to take a breath and connect with their kids instead of engaging in the ever present struggle of mealtime.

You can get your Quickstart Guide to Easy, Healthy Meals as a Family from Kim here.