Lesson # 13: Legumes

After two weeks of sampling a wide range of raw vegetables and greens, our intrepid Food is Elementary students were very excited about our week 13 lesson on legumes. During this lesson, students worked in groups to prepare hummus and black bean dip, two very healthy and delicious bean dips. The bean dips were accompanied by fresh salsa prepared by the Food Educators, and multigrain chips for dipping.

The legumes lesson began with a review of the food pyramid, with a particular emphasis on the protein portion of the pyramid. Students learned what legumes are (edible seeds that grow in a pod), and that they are a highly nutritious and economical means of getting enough protein in our diets. In order to illustrate how legumes grow, and what seed pods actually look like, Anne Rockwell's One Bean was read to the class.

After discussing legumes and reading One Bean, students broke into groups to begin preparing their bean dips. Half of the class prepared black bean dip, and the other half prepared the garbanzo bean hummus. Preparation included students mashing beans, measuring and adding ingredients, mixing, adding small amounts of salt and pepper for seasoning, and adding fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley to each dip. After completing the recipes, students assisted in spooning the final product onto a serving platter. Food educators, classroom teachers, and volunteers served each student a plate of both bean dips, some delicious fresh salsa, and multigrain chips for dipping and scooping.

Our Food is Elementary students displayed patience and cooperation while preparing our bean dip recipes, and many of them indicated that they would like to try making the bean dips at home with a grown up! Below are the recipes for both bean dips and for the fresh salsa. Enjoy!

Hummus
4 cans garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas)
1/8 cup of olive oil
2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
1/2 cup tahini paste
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt to taste

Drain and mash the garbanzo beans. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Black Bean Dip
4 cans of black beans
1 small onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, diced
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste

Drain and mash the black beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Salsa
4 tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 red onion, diced
juice of two limes
salt and pepper to taste

Dice and chop all vegetables and cilantro. Mix ingredients. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix again.

Lesson # 12: Greens

Last week, students sampled and learned about root, bulb, stem, and leaf vegetables. During this week of Food is Elementary (week 12), students focused on leafy green vegetables. This lesson emphasized the high vitamin content of leafy green vegetables such as mustard, dandelion, and spinach greens, particularly when compared to iceberg lettuce.

The greens lesson began with a review of the food pyramid, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and the parts of vegetables that can be eaten (root, bulb, stem, and leaf). The students learned a dance that reinforced the names and general shapes of different vegetables (if you would like your child to demonstrate for you, it begins by squatting down on the floor while saying "I'm a seed..I'm a seed...". Ask them and I'll bet they will remember the rest!). Next, Lois Ehlert's beautifully illustrated book Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z was read to the students; to their surprise, they discovered a fruit or vegetable that they have tried during their Food is Elementary classes for nearly every letter of the alphabet!

Students broke into groups and began tasting a variety of greens. From baby spinach to dandelion and mustard greens, our students sampled like champs! As different greens were sampled, Food Educators reviewed the names of the greens, and reminded students that they were tasting in order to experience the different flavors of each green. Students noticed that baby spinach has a very delicate, mild flavor, while mustard greens can be quite spicy!

Finally, students participated in a graphing activity designed to illustrate that dark, leafy greens are extremely nutritious and contain many more vitamins than lighter salad greens, such as iceberg lettuce.

Lesson # 11: Veggies

During week eleven of Food is Elementary, students sampled a variety of root, bulb, stem, and leaf vegetables. Through this multi-sensory activity, students were able to learn about the different parts of vegetables, increase their ability to visually and verbally identify different vegetables, and experience the variety of tastes and flavors present in vegetables.

The veggie lesson began with a review of the food pyramid, focusing on the vegetables group. Food Educators then showed the students a felt vegetable diagram that included a root vegetable, a bulb vegetable, a stem vegetable, and a leaf vegetable. Students learned that when they are eating a vegetable, they are eating one of the four previously mentioned parts. Students then matched pictures of vegetables with their proper part; for example, when shown a picture of a carrot, students were able to identify the carrot as a root.The Food Educators also reviewed with students the importance of knowing which parts of a vegetable are edible, and which parts are not.

Following our review and introduction of new material, students broke into groups to sample a variety of vegetables. A few of those sampled were fennel, (a bulb), radishes (a root), celery (a stem), and savoy cabbage (a leaf). As each vegetable was sampled, the Food Educators reviewed which vitamins were present in the vegetables the students were eating based on the color of the vegetable.

After finishing their vegetables, the lesson was reviewed through a targeted reading of Gail Gibbons' The Vegetables We Eat.

For many students, this veggie lesson was their first exposure to vegetables like leeks, radishes, and fennel. I was so proud of how brave they were in sampling these new veggies, and was delighted by how many of them truly enjoyed eating them. They, in turn, were thrilled to show off the muscles they were building by eating their vegetables!

Food is Elementary Lesson #10 - Citrus Fruits

During Lesson #10 of the Food is Elementary curriculum, we focused on the wonderful world of Citrus Fruits. Now that we know that fruits are foods that contain seeds, we talked about what makes a citrus fruit different from other fruits. We learned that citrus fruits have to be peeled and can be split into sections. Citrus fruits need certain weather conditions in order to grow. Citrus fruits cannot grow in a state like Ohio because they need warm, humid weather all year round in order to grow properly. We discovered that citrus fruits in the United States grow in states like Florida and California. Once grown in Florida or California, citrus fruits such as navel oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and clementines are shipped all over the United States for people to enjoy. After we learned about citrus fruits, we had the opportunity to taste a variety of these delicious fruits and taste many flavors such as sweet, bitter, and sour!

Pineapples--what are they good for?

I've been enjoying pineapples lately.

They're not a local food, unfortunately, but a food of the Americas. And, they are on sale at the grocery stores right now--I've found them for $2.00! That's not bad for a big, juicy, very nutritious snack that can feed several people at a time.

Click on the title for exact nutrition facts. Just as we teach in our Food Is Elementary classes, this yellow whole food has Vitamins A & C. It's also high in fiber, iron and calcium.

Last but not least, pineapples are bromeliads, one of my favorite families of plants :) Here's a neat article on pineapples! http://www.levins.com/pineapple.html

FRUIT TART, new crust recipe, without the nuts!

Lesson # 9 was our fruit tart lesson for the children . The crust was nut free ( we used sunflower seeds to replace the nuts). The sunflower seed worked very well for our tart crust. The children were able to slice the fruits and make their own personal tart. Needless to say they had a fantastic time shaping the crust and then smashing bananas on top of the crust....sound like fun ....well it was. The children then placed an assortment of blueberries, strawberries,oranges,and grapes on the top of the crust. The creative side of the children was wonderful and all the tarts were truly a piece of edible art. Once they made their fruit tarts we asked them to close their eyes and eat take a bite and focus on the different flavors. In unison we heard "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM" this taste so good. This lesson was so much fun for the children as well as the Food Educators and this lesson just blew the teachers away! Now it's your turn to experience the fruit tart our children made. Enjoy!

FRUIT TART

1CUP DATES FINELY CHOPPED
1 CUP FLAKED COCONUT
1CUP SUN FLOWER SEEDS
1 tsp VANILLA
cinnamon to taste (optional)
sliced fruits of your choice

put DATES, COCONUT, SUN FLOWER SEEDS, VANILLA, AND CINNAMON into a food processor and blend (add a sprinkle of water to moisten crust this helps the crust stick together)

place crust onto platter and press flat
place sliced bananas on top of crust and press on to crust
arrange the fruits of your choice on top or bananas