Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Family cooking show focuses on good food and light drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Family Food Showdown
What's the Story?
Each week on FAMILY FOOD SHOWDOWN, two three-person families face off in a series of cooking challenges to win $10,000. Families are given several simple prompts (a favorite childhood meal, for example) and are given a limited amount of time to cook. Meals are then presented to a panel of judges, and the team with the better food wins. Valerie Bertinelli hosts.
Is It Any Good?
The most interesting thing about this fun, simple cooking show is its focus on family dynamics, and how working together under pressure can change them. Sometimes the ideas can feel a little antiquated -- the episode about moms, for example, repeatedly focuses on "who is the boss of the kitchen" -- but Family Food Showdown generally keeps the drama light and shows families succeeding together despite occasional in-fighting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about cooking together. How do the contestants on Family Food Showdown work in the kitchen? What does it mean to work together on a task like this?
Did the families cook any foods you've never seen before? What are they? Do you like to try new foods or do you prefer old favorites?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 3, 2019
- Cast : Valerie Bertinelli
- Network : Food Network
- Genre : Game Shows
- Topics : Cooking
- TV rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate