Big Fork Little Fork, a Kraft Foods app for the iPad

Next time the kids ask what’s for dinner, just hand them your iPad and tell them it’s their turn to decide. Thanks to Kraft Food’s new iPad app, Big Fork Little Fork, you can do just that.

This week, Kraft sent me a loaner iPad to test out their new app. Not only can Big Fork Little Fork help you search for recipes, it’s a great way to get your kids involved. Just ask mine.

Yes, I turned the iPad over to my children, Nathan, 10 and Lucie, 7 and had them give the app a whirl. No surprise they immediately found the games Space Picnic and Berwyn’s Deli. Since the games are limited in scope (they’re repetitive not progressive) they quickly lost interest and started playing with other features of the app like being able to crack eggs or draw in the spilled flour on the main page.

Kid friendly recipes

Then they got down to the nitty gritty and started perusing the recipes. Lucie came to me with requests like Bacon Dog Mac and Cheese from their Picky Eater section. (You can also find the app recipes online on the Kraft website.) Frankly, I’m not convinced that this app helps parents or kids find healthy recipes, since this dish has 31 g of fat and 1290 mg of sodium. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have healthy living kitchen tips like the website does for making substitutions.

Still the Big Fork Little Fork app is a fun way to get kids to try new things. After picking a few recipes where we didn’t have all the ingredients on hand, Nathan and Lucie told me they’d like to try the Tuna Twister Melt. (Nathan hates fish with a passion, but for some reason likes the tuna melts his dad makes for him. I think it’s the cheese and the sweet relish.) I quickly prepared the dish with a few substitutions and awaited a verdict. Both kids told me they loved it.

Full of features

Besides dozens of recipes, the app also features in depth articles on cooking and healthy nutrition, safety tips for parents and kids, and videos. (I wasn’t able to watch any since my loaner iPad was not connected to the Internet.)

Many of the recipes come with kid friendly directions, and are categorized by meal or for picky or adventurous eaters. The app has a search function so you can find recipes by ingredient or name. You can even login to your KraftFoods.com account via the app to create a shopping list.

Big Fork Little Fork is available for download at the Apple app store for $1.99. You can learn more about Big Fork Little Fork at the Kraft website.

Anne-Marie Nichols is the Managing Editor of Mom Central Technology.

Anne-Marie Nichols