Parents' Guide to

Recipe Rehab

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Chefs shave off fat and calories in fun cooking game show.

TV CBS Reality TV 2012
Recipe Rehab Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

rinovoga
rinovoga Adult
January 18, 2014
age 2+

junk infos that will bring only confusion

Wrong informations: the show doesn't have nutrition specialist or a registered nutritionist ! Beans and legumes give us most energy! Not cereals and breads !
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Every family has its tried-and-true favorite recipes, handed down from Grandma. The problem? Most of them are better adapted to the days when you had to pump water and chop wood and could work off the calories. On RECIPE REHAB, chefs Laura Vitale and Mareya Ibrahim take on competitor chefs who each try making over a family's favorite recipe, reducing the fat and calories and demonstrating how they did it to the audience. At the end of the show, the families try cooking the chef's recipes for themselves and taste both dishes. One is crowned the winner, the winning chef jumps around, and happy eaters rejoice.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Even experienced cooks may gather new tricks by watching Ibrahim, Vitale, and company do their thing in the kitchen. Cornstarch as an ingredient in chicken breading to dry out the skin and give it a fried texture? Cool idea! A traditional mac and cheese made with butternut squash and goat cheese? Who would have thunk it?

All the gee-whizz-ery may draw in kids who ordinarily wouldn't be interested in a cooking show and may encourage an interest in healthy cooking, an interest many parents would prefer kids have. This is a good show for whole-family watching, with nothing offensive or alarming, just yummy-looking food and good-natured competition.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about which kinds of shows feature people making things or doing things: decorating shows, cooking shows, fashion-design shows. Why is it interesting to watch? Why would people rather watch others make things than make things themselves? Or, does watching inspire you to give it a try?

  • Do you think the people trying the made-over recipes will really stop making their old favorites? Are they pretending to like the food they try, or do they really like it? How can you tell?

  • Does watching someone eat something on TV make you more likely to try it? Why, or why not? Do you think your parents hope this is true?

TV Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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