As most of Australia’s school students are currently enjoying their winter break, Woman’s Day sat down with the mums of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win to see what tips and tricks they have to get kids cooking in the kitchen.
DEPINDER CHHIBBER
Since first appearing on MasterChef in 2021, Depinder has become a mum to her young daughters Meher and Piri, who are very excited to be helping her in the kitchen.
“Cooking with kids is one of the most rewarding ways to pass on culture, creativity and confidence in the kitchen,” Depinder tells Woman’s Day.
The 33-year-old from Newcastle says getting her girls to help make rotis and parathas got them more involved in the kitchen.
“We love making the dough and cooking them together,” she says.
“For them it’s edible playdough and they love that! We add in different types of flours – and I offer them cookie cutters and my rolling pin, which makes it so much fun.”
For parents wanting to teach their kids how to cook, Depinder says keep the steps simple, and fun, and introduce storytelling into the mix.
And as the new school term looms, Depinder says her go-to lunchbox fillers are parathas, vegetable noodles, fried rice, an omelette or boiled egg and seasonal fruits.
ALANA LOWES
Crediting her mum for her love of food, season three’s Alana is passing her passion for food onto her two kids Florence, seven, and Walter, five – who are fans of food from around the world.
“Their favourite foods change all the time, one week it’s dumplings and the next it’s pasta,” Alana, 45, tells.
“At the moment they’re loving masala curry. They hoover it down and if it’s a little spicy they know to have it with lots of rice and yoghurt to take the edge off.”
Her advice for getting kids into the kitchen is giving them simple tasks to make them feel like they’re helping.
“If you’re busy cooking and really need to get something prepared but the kids want to help, something as simple as a bowl of cream and berries can do the trick,” she says.
“When working with pastry, kids love to cut shapes out of the offcuts – so just sprinkle them in sugar and bake! It makes them so happy.”
For term three, Alana says cosy winter lunches are on the menu for her kids.
“Florence and Walter have a thermos that I fill with hot pesto pasta or soup. They love it!”
SNEZANA CALIC
When Snezana was six she was prepping lunches for her whole family.
Now the mum-of-two is encouraging her daughter Lenka, nine, and her son Lazar, seven, to get creative in the kitchen.
“We love making pasta from scratch together, especially little gnocchetti or Sardinian malloreddus,” Snezana says.
Sushi is another hit with her kids.
“They get super creative with fillings, and while the first few rolls were a little wonky, now they roll sushi like pros!”
As a MasterChef, Snezana, 42, says making sure kids can see and enjoy their hard work is crucial to getting them in the kitchen – and this can be done by making pasta, sushi or getting them to cut vegies.
“Let your kids do it themselves, even if it gets a bit messy,” says Snezana.
“I know it can be tempting to take over for the sake of speed or tidiness, but letting them get hands-on is so important for teaching patience, independence, and gives them a real connection to food. Mess is temporary, but the skills and confidence they gain last a lifetime!”
Snezana’s favourite lunchbox fillers include leftovers, pasta, fried rice, soups and filo pastry pies, but she also encourages parents to fill them with food their kids like.
“Getting the kids involved with packing their lunch helps them feel in control and they’re more likely to eat it,” Snezana says.
“Don’t be afraid to sneak in seasonal things they may not love, like mandarins or capsicum sticks.”
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win. Watch & stream free Sundays at 7pm, and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on 10.
