Welcome to New Dad’s Kitchen! I’m glad you’re here. I hope you’ll feel–and make yourself–at “home” among our ever-growing collection of great recipes to serve your kid(s) and essential guidance and tips on how to be a better cook yourself. Many exciting things to share with you in the days ahead.
I started New Dad’s Kitchen to provide a voice to and an outlet for the many fathers of young children who contribute (or want to contribute!) to their child(ren)’s growth and development–but the site is for everyone who cares about what the child(ren) they know and love eats. Mothers. Grandparents. Aunts and uncles. Friends of dad (or mom). While many of the recipes are geared towards things dads may want to cook for their kid(s)–Ribs! Tacos! Crunchy/cheesy/tasty things!–you’ll see that the dishes are designed with everyone’s time and taste in mind, including and especially mom and dad.
Indeed, you’ll find what makes us different also makes us distinct–and better. That starts with the principles that guide all of the content you will find on New Dad’s Kitchen:
- Nutrition First: We are always looking to increase the substance and sustenance of your child’s food: sticking vegetables in whatever you make, increasing the amount of protein, subbing in flours and seeds that add more nutritious and fiber. Change nothing about the taste; improve everything about the food–that’s the mantra here.
- New Foods, New Flavors, New Fun: The site’s recipes incorporate and leverage a wide range of cuisines, ingredients, and textures; the “Serve” section of each recipe provides guidance on how to present and/or engage with the food. We’ve got upgraded versions of all the classics and greatest hits of the toddler food pantheon, sure, but we’ve also got low-risk/high-reward recipes drawn from Asian, Middle Eastern, and LatinX cooking that will surprise and delight you in just how effective they are in expanding your child’s palate and love of food–and maybe yours, too.
- Pleasure Over Precision: What you make should spark joy, both for your child and you; it should not require significant expense–money, time, energy, etc.–on your end to produce. Recipes on this platform are designed for your busy life, with plenty of choice and flexibility; they are also quite forgiving, not relying on precise measurements and allowing for mistakes. The plate can be messy; your cooking imprecise, even a bit sloppy. We embrace that.
- For the Entire Family: Seriously. You. Need. To. Eat. With your child! The same food as your child, if possible! Most of the recipes on the site are designed and proportioned so that you can produce enough quantity of food to eat as your child does and alongside him/her; it is critical that you do so. Sit with them, model positive food interactions for them; share the experience.
Just about every single recipe on the website follows these guidelines–the recipes are the result of adhering to them, really. It’s how I make decisions on what to cook for my child; it’s how I determine what recipes to share with you. It’s how you should guide your own cooking decisions, too.Most of all: enjoy. The process and the product. Let us know how we can help with both.
