Magen Withers has some practical advice about her pita pocket sandwich recipe found in a new just-for-kids cookbook created by MUSC. “I can stuff the pocket with any kind of food, and it will not fall out while I’m eating,” she said.

Alexandra Twigg is particularly honest about her vegetable quiche recipe. “I like this because the cheese ... covers up the taste of the vegetables,” she said. And Patrick Stanton is partial to his banana milk shake recipe because “I like to use a blender and press the buttons.”

These recipes and many more can be found in the “I Love To Cook Book,” developed as a community outreach service of the MUSC Heart Center. It features heart-healthy recipes that are written in easy terms a junior chef can understand, and are designed so children can make them on their own or with an adult’s help. The recipes were submitted by students at James B. Edwards Elementary School, which is in a business-education partnership with MUSC Children’s Hospital. Also, most of the cookbook’s art is the handiwork of students.

But the cookbook has a far more important goal than simply teaching kids to cook, said Lisa Giles, a registered dietitian who co-wrote the book. “American children are more overweight than ever before, largely because of too much processed and fast food, and too many inactive hours in front of the television or computer screen,” she said. “Childhood is the perfect time to change all that. The “I Love To Cook Book” was developed to help parents in their daily efforts to teach children how to eat right.”

Peter C. Gazes, M.D., professor of medicine, said there are national studies that show children as young as 2 years of age can have high cholesterol levels and the beginning signs of heart disease, especially when there is a strong family history of the disease. That’s no wonder when you consider that kid-pleasing foods such as hamburgers can have as much as 30 to 40 grams of fat apiece. “It’s extremely important to develop good eating patterns early,” Gazes said. “It’s what you’re reared with that stays with you later on.”

Recipes in the “I Love To Cook Book” not only taste good but are good for the whole family because they are lower in fat and cholesterol. Registered dietitians reviewed all the original recipes submitted and then modified them, where needed, to make them as heart-healthy as possible.

There are sections on serious topics such as kitchen safety, as well as fun aspects of cooking like setting the table, using good table manners, understanding cooking terms—“Garnish is to food as glitter is to a special piece of artwork”—and learning to create a nutritious meal using a kids-only food guide pyramid. Each recipe includes a nutrition analysis per serving that parents can discuss with their children.

To help young cooks determine how difficult a dish is to prepare, the authors used symbols for one, two or three oven mitts to denote easy, so-so and complicated. And there are drawings of adult faces beside any of the step-by-step instructions that involve using a sharp knife, hot stove or electrical appliance. Children are encouraged to ask an adult for special help with these.

Joshua Murray, who served as student editor of the “I Love to Cook Book,” said he believes it will have universal appeal because his classmates at James B. Edwards Elementary are representative of children everywhere. “Any kid would like this book because it’s fun to read, teaches you to cook, teaches you good manners and has only good-for-you food,” he said.

To order the “I Love to Cook Book,” call MUSC Health Connection at 792-1414. You’ll receive an order form in the mail. Cookbooks cost $8. If you live in Mount Pleasant, James B. Edwards Elementary School is acting as a cookbook distribution point. You can purchase your cookbook in the school office at 855 Von Kolnitz Road.