Getting your child to help in preparing a meal not only allows them to practise motor skills, like cutting and pouring, but also teaches them about raw ingredients and cooking processes. Additionally, being in the kitchen from a young age is a good way to nurture more adventurous eaters. We’ve rounded up 7 tasty recipes with steps you can easily delegate to your child.

1. Garlic Shrimp on Luffa Cup
   
   
   
   A creative dish with an almost architectural design, this healthy steamed dish is all about the prep as it only takes minutes to cook. Kids will have fun scooping out the luffa seeds to make cups for the meat filling and assembling the whole dish.
   
   Find the recipe here.

2. Pork and Chive Dumplings (水饺)
   
   
   Photo credit: Saveur
   
   It might not take a whole village to make dumplings, but this traditional Chinese dish is often made with the help of friends and family, who would all pitch in to fold the dumplings. While your child can help mix the filling, the real fun is in folding these delicious parcels. Feel free to experiment with different shapes, or invest in a dumpling press for younger kids.
   
   Find the recipe here. Scroll down on the recipe link for an illustrated guide to folding dumplings.

3. Minced Meat Macaroni
   
   
   
   This popular tomato-based pasta is a great recipe to show kids how their favourite meals are made. Buy a kid-friendly knife to let your child help cut up the tomatoes, and let him have a go at stir-frying, but keep a close watch for splatters. Don’t worry if it gets messy because there’s plenty of time to clean up before dinner while the dish cooks in the Thermos® Shuttle Chef®.
   
   Find the recipe here. 

4. Tortilla Pizza Margherita
   
   
   Photo credit: Annabel Karmel
   
   If you have younger kids and are worried about exposing them to raw ingredients, this quick and easy recipe is the one for you. Use this recipe as a base and go crazy with toppings. Offer your child a variety of cooked options, like ham, chicken, spinach, mushroom, and other cheeses, and let him design his own dinner.
   
   Find the recipe here.

5. Japanese Potato Chicken Stew
   
   
   
   Cooked in a Thermos® Food Jar, this recipe can be used as a delicious lesson in thermal insulation and heat conduction. You can also use it to test your child’s motor skills by asking him to dice the potato and carrot, or a chance to introduce him to new foods if he hasn’t had konjac noodle before.
   
   Find the recipe here.

6. Brilliant Banana Loaf
   
   
   Photo credit: BBC Good Food
   
   If your child thinks brown, overripe bananas are yucky, prove him wrong with this all-time classic. In addition to teaching him about food wastage, this recipe lets your child practise math by measuring out the ingredients. You can jazz up this recipe with fun additions, like chocolate chips and walnuts.
   
   Find the recipe here.

7. Mango Coconut Ice Cream
   
   
   
   Let your child work for his treat with this quick recipe. Get him to mash the mangoes, measure the ingredients, and whisk the cream. You can then wow him with some physics that allows ice cream to be made in a Thermos® Food Jar. Soon, he/she will be coming up with ideas of different flavours to make in the future.
   
   Find the recipe here.