Y’all I have a problem. I love to travel! I suffer from WANDERLUST! I would seriously love to sell my house with everything in it, pack a big suitcase, and travel full time with my family. Unfortunately we can’t pack it all up to explore new foods or destinations. Since I can’t give in to my wanderlust and explore, we’ll have to do the next best thing. We’ll have to travel by taste and cook up delicious international recipes.
If you can’t pick up and go either, gather your family and experience the world from your home kitchen. We’ve got recipes ranging from Asian stir fry to North American barbecue to help you explore the world’s different flavors together.
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Cooking with Kids
Children learn by using all of their senses. The kitchen is one of the best places for hands-on learning. It brings together ALL of their senses. When kids are involved with cooking a meal, they enjoy eating what they prepare.
Cooking is an essential life skill, but there is so much more to learn than just the skill of cooking. Children can study geography as they cook international recipes. Recently, I was reading Real Food for Healthy Kids by Tracey Seaman and Tanya Wenman Steel and I loved what they said about cooking and eating international recipes.
“Eating dishes from other countries enables learning about other cultures, foreign languages, and geography, and provides a culinary vocabulary.”
Learn Geography Through Cooking
Cook up some learning fun with your family with these easy recipes. The recipes we’ve included below are easy enough for children of all ages to assist with. They are perfect for lunch or dinner and they can spark the desire to learn more about where food comes from.
Incorporate geography by:
- Reading stories from the region where the meal/recipe is from
- Asia – The Story of Ping or Magic Treehouse: Day of the Dragon King
- Africa – Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales
- Europe – D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths or Paddington
- Learning more about where foods are grown or originated
- Print a map and mark where foods are from
- Look at product labels and produce stickers
- Print a map and mark where foods are from
Recipes from Asia
Chicken Chow Mein – Rasa Malaysia
Chinese Creamy Corn Soup – All Recipes {by: William Anatooskin}
Cauliflower Fried “Rice” – Host the Toast
Recipes from Africa
Ghanaian Groundnut {Peanut} Chicken Stew – Girl Cooks World
East African Mango & Cucumber Salad – The Wanderlust Kitchen
Coconut Oatmeal Pudding – All Done Monkey
Recipes from Australia
Smashed Avocado Chickpea Salad – Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR Fitness
Anzac Bars – Best Recipes {by: Rahbear}
Pumpkin, leek & spinach quiche – Taste {by: Chrissy Freer}
Recipes from Europe
Samosas – Dear Kitchen
Tomato Lunch Toasts – Food {by: WiGal}
Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki – Recipe Tin Eats
Recipes from North America
BBQ Ribs and Baked Beans (Crock pot recipe) – Little Family Adventure
Zucchini Carrot Breakfast Muffins – Noshing with the Nolands
Vegetable Green Enchiladas – Little Family Adventure
Recipes from South America
Banana Licuado – Edamam
Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread – Mel’s Kitchen
South American Avocado & Quinoa Salad – Organic Authority
Learn more about the world around you with these international recipes. You and your family can enjoy the journey without ever having to leave home. You will discover new foods, new cultures, and so much more. Cooking with your kids provides an excellent opportunity to spend quality time together and have fun as a family. You may even discover a new food that even your pickest eater will enjoy. But you’ll never know until you try. So get out and explore the world with these delicious international recipes.
What continent will you start with?
I love the idea of cooking with kids, and creating an education aspect. Science can also incorporate easily into it. I’ll try one of these recipes with my youngest soon.
I love this what a great way to teach children about the world and it’s people
This is such a fun idea! I love how you’re turning cooking into a way to explore the world. I remember when my family made Italian pasta together. We put on some Italian music and read a bit about Italy. It made the meal so much more exciting. Can’t wait to try these recipes. Do you think it’s better to start with simpler recipes for younger kids?