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PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Nutrition is serious business, but here at the "Toddler Test Kitchen," they believe in having a little fun with food... the key word being "little," as most of these tiny chefs need a stepping stool at their workstation.
Yaffi L'vova, instructor of the class, registered dietitian/nutritionist and mother of two, says the mission is to get the toddlers exposed to new unfamiliar foods so that their minds open as well as their mouths.
"The whole idea is to help them toward a healthy relationship with food, which means they don't have the dieting and preoccupation with food that so many of us suffer from," L'vova said.
One of the best ways to get kids excited about new foods is to get them involved in the preparation, and it's also a great way to educate kids about health. Yaffi has seen this first-hand.
"You [look] at that recipe and think 'spaghetti squash... my kid isn't going to eat that,' but then they love it because they helped cook it and then that's something you can take home," she said.
While cooking with a toddler may take a little extra time, patience, and clean up, the results are healthy habits for life.
"Helping them listen to their internal cues to know when they're hungry, to stop eating when they're full, to be able to enjoy cake and enjoy salad... that's really the goal," L'vova said.