How Molly Sims Makes Food Fun for Her Family

    Dinner is always an adventure for this supermodel mama and her littles.
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    molly feeding scarlet olive with grey nearby

    Scarlett, 3, tastes a green olive from the dish she helped her mom make, while her 16-month-old brother, Grey, helps himself to some chicken. Get the recipe for Molly's Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives & Lemon here.

    For Molly Sims, cooking with her three kids is all about making food fun—and it starts at the supermarket. “My kids love going to the grocery store with me,” says the actress, model, and author of Everyday Chic: My Secrets for Entertaining, Organizing, and Decorating at Home. “When we’re there, I put together a scavenger hunt for them and they have to do things like weigh apples on the scale.” 

    Once they get home, she divides up the cooking tasks: Brooks, 5, is old enough to put seasonings on chicken; three-year-old Scarlett “kills it with the salad spinner”; and 16-month-old Grey gets the job of supervisor. Molly places him on the counter so he can hang out and snack and keep an eye on the action. 

    molly hanging brook upside down outside

    Molly gives Brooks a fresh perspective on the yard.

    Whenever she’s feeding her little ones, Molly looks for ways to make the food more kid-friendly. “I’ll cut their sandwiches, pasta, or fruit into funny shapes,” she says. “If there’s something that I can turn into a star, I’ll do it.” 

    All of this fun ultimately serves a more serious purpose: raising enthusiastic eaters. “I started to introduce a variety of foods to my kids at an early age,” she says. “Now they’ll pretty much eat everything in our fridge.”

    molly cooking with scarlett and brooks

    "If you want your kids to eat more adventurous things, start early," says Molly. "And even if they don't like something the first time, try it again. Also, give them some control. My kids love to eat off their superhero plates and pick out their favorite colored forks."

    molly with scarlett holding tomato sign

    "To get my kids involved, I let them pick their food from our garden," says Molly. "We have tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, all types of lettuce, and even a kumquat tree. Brooks and Scarlett are great helpers."

    brooks grabs kumquat from tree

    Brooks gets on his tiptoes to grab just the right kumquat.

    Molly's Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives & Lemon

    molly's moroccan chicken with green olives and lemon

    Don’t assume that your kids won’t like something because it’s not classic kid food. Molly’s kiddos gobble up this mildly spiced Moroccan chicken dish.

    Recipe: Try Molly's Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives & Lemon

    Molly's Greek-Style Chopped Salad

    Greek-Style Chopped Salad

    Recipe: Try Molly's Greek-Style Chopped Salad