Making a pizza from scratch is something that all children can do and it may come as a surprise to them that pizzas don’t need to come from the freezer section of the supermarket. If you are in a hurry you can use a shop bought pizza base (or one of the packets of Schwartz mix that you can buy) but most kids will find it fun to make the base themselves.

Even if little ones need help measuring out the ingredients, all ages can have a go at the mixing and kneading. While the mixture is waiting to bind together, you can get them busy sorting out the topping. The variations are endless and much will depend on your child’s taste buds but all pizzas need to be spread first with tomato puree or sauce, with simple tomato sauce recipes available at the Schwartz Cooking Club. Favourites to add include ham, pineapple, olives, tuna, peppers, mushrooms and pepperoni. Top with grated cheese. Whether you let your child grate the cheese themselves depends on their manual dexterity. Grated knuckles can be painful!

For pudding, why not get your child to prepare a fruit salad? So long as you are happy for them to use a knife, it is one of the easiest and healthiest puds possible. A little lemon juice will stop the fruits from browning and don’t forget that if you are using bananas in your fruit salad, add them at the last minute.

There are so many pasta recipes that will gradually introduce kids to the world of Italian cookery but one of the simplest is a basic tomato sauce to pour over spaghetti. This is a great one to follow if you’re also trying to introduce your family to the world of vegetarian recipes . To make this dish, you’ll need a small onion, a medium sized carrot, some garlic (unless your kids have an aversion to the taste of garlic), a small amount of olive oil, and a can of chopped tomatoes.

Ask your kids to chop the onion and carrot into small pieces, using a child-friendly knife at first if their knife skills aren’t fully developed just yet. It’s probably best for you to mince the garlic as we all know how easy it can be to slice into your finger when a small chunk of garlic slips out of your grasp! Make sure you place your frying pan on a fairly low heat so things don’t get out of control and encourage your child to saute the onion, carrot and garlic for around 10 minutes.

Once these ingredients are soft (allow your child to taste the sauce as it progresses as this will allow for a real understanding of the ingredients and also spark their interest in the whole process), add the can of tomatoes and season well. Cook the sauce on a low heat for 25 minutes and then add in the cooked spaghetti.

It can be a great idea to take your kids along with you to the supermarket to buy the ingredients, and make sure you stop to pause by the fresh herb section. Ask your kids to smell the herbs and pick one to go along with the sauce as an ingredient to add in at the last minute for some extra flavour. Basil does the trick perfectly here, but parsley also works well.

“This is an important step in a landmark consumer protection initiative. This legislation will protect Chicago’s children and send a clear message to other jurisdictions considering similar legislation,” said Alderman Manny Flores, co-sponsor of the measure.

“We should err on the side of caution and not needlessly expose people to the harmful effects, especially children,” said Alderman Edward Burke, the measure’s other sponsor.