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Farm-to-School Lesson Plans

An Experiential Integration of Nutrition and Connection to Our Food

Coauthors: Olivia Batryn, Meg Davidow, and JoAnne Dennee


Teacher Introduction and Wellness Foundation

Basic Nutrition and Wellness Knowledge


To put it simply, a “nutrient” is something that provides nourishment to our bodies and is
essential to keeping us healthy, sustained, and well. To explain the matter further, we often
categorize them into specific groups, making them easier to understand and remember. Most of
us have heard of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, but do we really know what they are? These
three nutrients are grouped into what we call macronutrients. They’re “macro” because they’re
bigger in size, they give our body energy, and we need them in larger doses.
A second group of nutrients are micronutrients, which group into those other things
we’ve all heard of; vitamins and minerals. They are “micro” because, in comparison, they’re
smaller in size and we need them in lesser quantities. If we remember from chemistry class in
high school, there are multiple types of substances, which vitamins and minerals are made up
of. Vitamins are groups of organic compounds that are naturally found in whole foods and are
essential because our bodies cannot produce them in sufficient amounts. Common vitamins
include vitamin A, B-complexes, C, D, E, and K. We will go deeper into how each contribute to
our wellness later in the lesson guide. Minerals are inorganic naturally occurring compounds
that our bodies also need to grow and develop properly. They’re the elements found on earth
and keep us connected to our world and rooted in our soil.
Teaching nutrition and wellness at an early age starts children off on a path of smart
choices, an intuitive concept of self-wellness, and a healthy lifestyle. Understanding the
importance of incorporating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into our everyday diet helps
nourish our bodies from inside and out. Second nature habits start by repeated exposure to
healthy habits inside and out of the classroom. Each lesson will provide you with tools and tips
for making wellness a habit life for students.
This may seem complicated and you may be thinking, “How can I teach this to my
students in a way they will absorb and understand?” With these fun, adaptable, and experiential
lesson plans, nutrition and wellness can become a habitual way of living for all participants.

Creating a “Wellness Habit Life” at Home


By guiding children through experiential activities within the classroom, it will give them
the skills to continue on and make them a habit at home. These lessons will give “take-out” a
whole new meaning. Instead of pre-prepared foods, often full of mysterious, unhealthy
ingredients and take minutes to prepare, “take out” will be skills and techniques to create
nutritious, wholesome recipes full of ingredients that make us strong and fueled.

Ideas for “take-out”


● Grocery lists adapted from each recipe
○ (Encourage young chefs to shop with parent or guardian!)
● Involve kids with cooking at least one meal per week at home
● Culinary technique practice reinforces chopping skills and different knife techniques
○ Consider dedicating a whole lesson to food preparation safety and techniques
● Allow students to choose to take home a favorite recipe card
○ (Additional recipes for each months’ focus ingredient are provided. Explore!
● Encourage small shifts towards healthy eating
○ Big changes all at once can be challenging and sometimes unobtainable.
○ Focus on the food of the month. How many ways can you enjoy it or adapt
recipes to feature it?
● Give older groups the power to decide and control recipes and activities where
appropriate
○ Ex: Recipe creation, small teams for “cook-offs” or different task roles, etc

Common Allergy Adaptations


● EGG: Replace flax seeds and water for each egg. Grind 1 Tbls of flaxseed and mix with
3 Tbls of water. Let sit a few minutes until gelatinous.
● DAIRY/MILK: Dairy milk alternatives can be equal measures of organic coconut milk or
almond milk. Soy milk is not recommended.
● PEANUTS/TREE NUTS: Nuts can be replaced with sunflower seeds and pepitas.
● GLUTEN: Wheat and gluten-containing flours can be substituted with almond flour,
coconut flour, or a combined nut flour mixture.

Important Food Integrities


● Organic vs. Conventional Produce
○ There’s been increasing concern regarding organic versus conventionally
produced food items, which is a complex topic important to be aware of. ‘Organic’
refers to a finite use of artificial man-made chemicals in the agricultural process.
These growing methods typically allow for greater nutrient content of our food
items. ‘Conventional,’ on the other hand, refers to farming of food that uses
chemical fertilizers to stimulate and advance plant growth. Conventionally farmed
food exposes us to greater levels of pesticides, growth hormones, and other
harmful toxins that increase negative consequences for our health. The
difference impacts not only our physical health, especially that of the farmworkers
who interact on a large scale with these substances, but the health of our
environment as well.
○ https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2008/09/10/4933/its-easy-
being-green-organic-vs-conventional-foods-the-gloves-come-off/
○ http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.459.7393&rep=rep1&ty
pe=pdf

“Getting Started” Lesson Ideas


1. Heirloom Vegetable Tastings:
Repeated exposure and chances to taste fruits and vegetables is essential for greater
acceptance and enjoyment of new or unfamiliar foods. Simple taste tests or some that show the
variety of certain fruits and vegetables is a great way to explore and have an experiential
learning opportunity. Tasting in the classroom enables students to support one another and be
mindful about their likes and dislikes, which is important for students developing his or her own
opinions and preferences. An activity that allows students to try ingredients alone and compare
tastes, textures, and flavors will them recognize individual qualities that can take to future
cooking lessons.
For example, providing the class with a chance to try all the varieties of carrots or
tomatoes (orange, yellow, purple, red, etc), is a great way to teach about heirloom varieties and
subtle differences in their characteristics. They will learn the food’s seasonality, taste qualities,
and origins. Introduce the fruit or vegetable in its whole state, pass it around, let students feel,
smell, and describe it, and finally taste it together. Encourage participation, descriptions and
recipe examples. Hopefully, an early introduction to individual ingredients that will likely
reappear in future recipes will allow for an easier transition into accepting new things.

Adapted from:
http://okfarmtoschool.com/wp-content/uploads/tasting-lesson.pdf

2. MyPlate Introduction:
Activity w/ 2nd-5th Graders (15 minutes):
Objective: Re-Introduce students to MyPlate and the health benefits of making your plate a
rainbow (a variety of food groups, colors, and nutrients).
Introduction:
Today we will be discussing MyPlate and the importance of eating a balanced meal with
a rainbow of colors.
With a raise of hands, who has seen the Myplate diagram? (show your copy of the
diagram). MyPlate is the U.S Department of Agriculture’s set of recommendations for a healthy,
growing body. However, keep in mind every body is different, and so the foods to keep our bodies
healthy and strong may also be different.
My Plate is made up of five important food groups: Fruits which should make up at least 10%
of your plate, grains which make up 30% of the plate, protein which makes up 20% and of course
veggies which should take up the biggest part of your plate at 40%. There is also a recommendation
of dairy, however this is not essential.
Let’s talk about a few foods that we might find in each category, before you get an
opportunity to create your own ideal plate with some drawing.
1) First, let’s look at fruits
● Potential Fruit options for “Your” Plate: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, squash,
beans, bananas, watermelon, kiwis, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe,
honeydew melon, apples, grapes, cherries
2) Next, who wants to share a favorite vegetable
● Potential Veggie options for “Your” Plate: kale, swiss chard, carrot, broccoli, onion, garlic,
lettuce, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, celery, brussel sprouts, parsnip
3) What about protein? This may be a bit more difficult for some of us to associate with a
specific food (show them examples of protein foods).
*Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Foods with proteins help our body grow! strong!
● Potential Protein options for “Your” Plate: beans, chickpeas/hummus, peanut butter,
yogurt, cheese, oatmeal, broccoli, chicken, steak, fish (salmon/tilapia)
4) Finally, who wants to share a few grain options?
*If someone asks what a grain is: Grains are the dry, hard seeds of a cereal or leguminous crop.
Grains are full of carbohydrates which provide the body with fast-acting energy to help us go.
Leguminous grains are also high in protein that helps us grow.
● Potential Grain options for “Your”Plate: oats, rice, whole-wheat bread, baguette,
chickpeas*, beans*, brown rice, quinoa, barley, corn, lentils
*Give each student a paper plate that is split into the 5 food groups. Have each student draw his
or her own ideal plate placing one or two foods in each group. Be sure to walk around and help
students figure out some of the more difficult food categories, like protein or grains. Give them
a few examples of healthy meal options:

Ex: (lunch/dinner) rice and beans, which are full of protein and can be made with tomatoes,

peppers, onions, and an abundance of fresh herbs. The rice and beans are a perfect combo of

amino acids.

Ex: (lunch/dinner) whole wheat pasta with pesto, roasted peppers and broccoli

Ex (snack): carrot sticks and sliced peppers with hummus and some cheddar cheese

Ex (snack): yogurt and granola with blueberries

Ex (breakfast): scrambled eggs with peppers, onion, broccoli and cheese on toast

Ex (breakfast): smoothie with maple yogurt, bananas, frozen blueberries, kale, chia seeds and

apple cider.

Summarize: Eating foods from all five food groups will give us the balance of nutrients that we
need to grow healthy bodies. Remember to fill at least half of your plate with fruits and veggies!
Activity w/ Kindergarten- 1st Graders (15 minutes):
Objective: (Re)Introduce students to MyPlate and the health benefits of making your plate a
rainbow (a variety of foods groups, colors, and nutrients).

Intern:
Good morning students! Today we are going to read a story about a boy named Jack and his
friend that taught him how to eat a balanced meal that also looks like a rainbow!

The book is called, Jack and the Hungry Giant: Eating Right with MyPlate

Summarize: Eating foods from all five food groups will give us the balance of nutrients that we
need to grow healthy bodies. Remember to fill at least half of your plate with fruits and veggies!

3. Back to School with Kale Smoothies! What if during the first month back to school the sixth
graders were in the halls offering tastings and teaching about brain boosting foods? Small
groups could devise a few different flavors of kale smoothies and test for the favorites! Here is a
recipe to get you started.

Kale Cuke Smoothies


Freeze half a seeded apple with skin on with one-third cucumber with skin on (unless bitter or
waxed) and one heaping tablespoon grated ginger root, OR and one-half zested lemon with
juice. When ready to serve add a heaping handful of baby kale with about a half cup water and
swirl in a blender.

Next Section: Seasonal Vegetable Lesson Plans


Farm-to-School 2017-2018
Autumn Harvest: Acorn Squash

Intro:
● Filling our plate with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables helps us learn and grow our
best. Colorful fruits and vegetables support each part of our body and keep them
polished to work their best. Think about this: can a rainbow fully shine without all of its
colors? Just like a rainbow, we need to eat foods of all colors to keep us glowing.
● Reintroduce ourselves
● Next, introduce the harvest veggie of the month and see if any students can identify it
● Ask how students have eaten squash before
● Introduce how today will run:
○ We will be cooking it in a soup recipe today
○ Next, we’ll begin by preparing ingredients and starting the cooking process
○ Half way through (while soup is cooking), we will transition into color activities to
learn about color nutrients in foods
● Divide into groups -- give each group specific roles and tasks to complete for the recipe.
● Guide, demonstrate, and help with preparations (including chopping, getting to know
each ingredient, and any necessary techniques)
● While preparing ingredients, reflect back to previous lessons, try to see if students can
recall past techniques
● Explore students’ senses (taste as we cook, smell each ingredient, feel textures, etc.)
● Demonstrate combining ingredients, talking through each one’s benefit as you go
● Proceed to Intern Guide and complete color activities
Teacher’s “Getting Ready” Preparation
Tools and Safety
● Recommended Tools: Kid-friendly knives, kid-powered food processor, ice cream scoop
(to scrape or squash seeds)
● Pre-K: Consider having ingredients chopped, diced, and measured for combining and
sorting.
● 1-3: Consider having challenging ingredients prepared (cut and seed acorn squash) but
allow for children to be involved in liquid measuring, ingredient grating, and simple
chopping.
● 4-6: Consider having students help prepare all ingredients, dividing out tasks to
individual groups.
History of Acorn Squash
● Acorn squash is native to the United States and was introduced to the first settlers by the
Native people of Massachusetts. “Askutasquash” is the Narragansett term for squash,
which translates to “eating the seeds raw,” bypassing the flesh. A long time ago, this
type of squash had a much thinner body of flesh until it was evolved by the Native
people so it would be thick, just like we see it today. A thicker flesh gave it a super-
nutritious quality and became a large part of the indigenous diet, sustaining the First
Nations for thousands of years. So today, in honor of the first nations, we are going to
soak and peel away the outer skin of the seeds, roast, and salt them to experience what
this might would have been like.
Plant Facts
● Family/Species: Winter squash family (Cucurbita pepo)
○ The Cucurbitaceae family can also be referred to as the gourd family or simply
the squash family.
○ Acorn squashes grow on vines close to the soil.
● Typically, we prepare, cook and eat the fruit of the acorn squash plant.
○ The fruit of an acorn squash is the yellow/orange-colored flesh surrounding the
inner seeds. It is encased by a thin, dark, green colored skin, which, is edible and
full of nutrients when cooked.
Health Benefits/ Color Nourishment
● Acorn squash is an orange food, meaning it contains nutrients like beta-carotene,
vitamin A, and vitamin C. These nutrients work together to help eye health and keep
your immune system working strong to protect against sickness.
○ Beta-carotene: organic compound, creates red-orange pigment, works hard as a
precursor to creating vitamin A.
○ Vitamin A: organic compound, fat-soluble vitamin (mixes and absorbs well with
fats), healthy vision, powered immune system, and cellular growth/reproduction.
○ Vitamin C: organic compound, water-soluble, protects the immune system
(blocks disease and illnesses), promotes body healing, assists the absorption of
iron.
● To learn about each color of the rainbow’s nourishment qualities, see the intern guide for
simple methods to teach each age group.
Today’s Recipe: “Curried Acorn Squash Soup”

Ingredients:
- 1 Acorn Squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- ½ Onion Chopped
- 1.5 Cups of Veggie Stock
- 7 fluid ounces of coconut milk
- 1 Tbs of Olive Oil
- 1 ½ Tbs of curry powder
- ½ tsp of Nutmeg
- ½ tsp of Ginger
- Dash of Turmeric
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the squash, cut sides down, in a baking dish.
Add 1/8 inch water in baking dish, cover with foil and bake 35-40 minutes or until
tender. Cool. (Prepped beforehand)
2. In a large saucepan sauteé onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until
onion is softened but not brown.
3. Scrape the squash out of the flesh and add to onions. Add the stock, coconut milk,
curry powder, nutmeg, ginger, and turmeric. Cook over moderate heat, stirring
occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste
and serve.
Intern Guide for Various Age Groups

Objective: Students will learn how different foods nourish their bodies based on their
associated color.

Intern: Today we’re going to learn about the different colors that make up our food. I’m sure you
all know a variety of colors. If you think of the rainbow we have red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo, and violet.

I would like you all to think of the different vegetables and fruits that you eat, and picture the
colors of each of these foods. A variety of colors are probably coming to mind. Would someone
like to share one of the colors that they are thinking of, and maybe the food that goes with it?

When we fill our plates with a variety of colors, not only does it look nice, but it is often a sign
that you are getting all the nutrients that your body needs to be strong and healthy.

Colors’ Nourishment Qualities:


The colors that make up each each fruit or vegetable are determined by the food’s chemical
makeup. These chemical properties are what we know as nutrients. Let’s go over what each
color means and then we are going to test your memory by playing a fun game!
● Red
○ Pre-K: Red fruits and vegetables keep your heart beating loud and strong. If you
LOVE red foods they will LOVE you back!
○ 1-3: When we eat red foods, our hearts will feel the love. Nutrients in red fruits
and vegetables act as the drumsticks to keep our hearts beating loud.
○ 4-6: Mention nutrients: flavonoids and lycopene (red-coated protectors who
encourage others to perform to their best) , Vitamin C and folate (as the
drummers of your heart’s beat and rhythm).
○ Foods: Apples, tomatoes, grapefruits, cranberries, cherries.
● Orange
○ Pre-K: Orange foods make sure you stay “sniffle-free” all winter and keep your
eyes seeing sharp as an eagle’s.
○ 1-3: Orange fruits and vegetables shield your body from invaders, keeping away
colds and flus. They also help your eyes see near, far, in the light, and in the
dark.
○ 4-6: Nutrients like beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C are all found in orange
produce, which work together to help our pupil change size so we can see in the
light and dark. They also make sure your immune system is in the best shape to
keep you from getting sick.
○ Foods: Carrots, mangoes, squash, sweet potato, apricots.
● Yellow
○ Pre-K: Yellow fruits and vegetables keep your skin soft and glowing!
○ 1-3: Yellow fruits and vegetables activate the lightbulbs in your skin to keep it
soft, shiny, and glowing.
○ 4-6: Yellow fruits and vegetables help push nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K
into the tiniest parts of our bodies to keep our skin soft and bright.
○ *Think about the glowing yellow sun shining bright!
○ Foods: Corn, yellow peppers, pineapples.
● Green
○ Pre-K: When we eat green fruits and vegetables, no harmful invaders get into our
body!
○ 1-3: Green fruits and vegetables protect us from mean toxins and kick out any
that sneaked past their shield.
○ 4-6: Green produce contains super-nutrients like vitamin K, folate, potassium and
calcium. They shield our bodies from mean toxins and work overtime to make
sure pesky invaders are shown the way out the door.
■ *Ask if anyone knows where their liver is? Green foods are a big help to
our liver for detoxing.
○ Foods: Lettuce, cucumbers, kale, kiwis, avocadoes, celery.
● Blue/Purple
○ Pre-K: Blue and purple foods help you think, use your imagination, and begin to
LOVE all fruits and vegetables.
○ 1-3: Blue and purple foods light a fire to your imagination and help your brain
learn all the good things about fruits and vegetables.
○ 4-6: Blue and purple foods fill our bodies with antioxidants, which help your brain
stay sharp and your heart happy. They also act as tiny defenders that bring a
protective fire to areas of inflammation.
○ Foods: Blueberries, blackberries, eggplants, purple cabbage, plums.
● White
○ Pre-K: Eating white fruits and vegetables helps keep your bones strong and
unbreakable.
○ 1-3: White fruits and vegetables keep your bones strong and healthy by fixing
any weak spots. They also keep your tummy from getting upset.
○ 4-6: White fruits and vegetables contain cooperative nutrients like calcium and
vitamin D to help your bones stay strong and sturdy. Some contain prebiotics and
probiotics to keep your tummy from getting upset.
○ *What color are our bones? Think about white produce helping our white bones!
○ Foods: Potatoes, bananas (we eat the white insides), mushrooms, cauliflower,
onions, and garlic. White foods such as white flour and white rice are the
exception to the idea the white foods are beneficial.

There are so many different colors that we can incorporate into our diet. Why do you think that it
is important to have all the colors in our diet?

How do you think you would feel if you only ate one or two colors all the time?
Would you be tired or maybe not be able to think as well?
One way that we can make sure we are getting enough nutrients to support all parts of our
bodies, is by looking at the colors we eat. When you start to incorporate a variety of colors into
your daily diet, then this is a good sign that you are getting the right fuel and keeping your whole
body healthy and whole.

Activities:

Preschool-Kindergarten
Color Sorting Activity:
1. We will start by sorting this pile of fruits and vegetables into color categories. On the
table we have fruits and vegetables that are different colors of the rainbow and it’s up to
you all to put all the reds with reds, oranges with oranges, and so on.
2. Tell the students to make room for each color group and begin pulling individual items
from the “produce pile” and placing them into color groups.
3. Once the students have sorted and organized all the fruits and vegetables into groups,
explain each color’s nourishment power.

Grades 1-3:
Food Colors and Body Wellness Activity:
1. We will now do an activity where I will give you a clue and you will try to guess which
food color I’m describing. Each clue will describe a nourishing quality of a color.
2. On your handout there is person drawn with numbered body parts, representing all the
places food colors help the most.
3. When I give a clue about a numbered body part, do your best to fill in the number with
one (or more) colors you remember nourish it.
4. When the person is fully colored, we will go over each one and see how you all did!
Game Clues:
1. I am the color that makes our hearts feel the love. RED
2. I am the color that shields your body from invaders, keeping away colds and the flu.
ORANGE
3. I am the color that helps your eyes see near, far, in the light, and in the dark. ORANGE
4. I am the color that turn on the lightbulbs in your skin to keep it shiny, soft, and glowing.
YELLOW
5. I am the color that protects you from mean toxins and kick out any that snuck past our
shield. GREEN
6. These colors light a fire to your imagination and help your brain learn everything you’ve
learned today! BLUE/PURPLE
7. I am the color that keeps your bones strong and healthy by fixing weak spots. WHITE
8. I am the color that keep your tummy from getting upset. WHITE
Grades 4-6:
Color Nutrients for Body Health and Functions Activity:
1. We are now going to play a game where you get to tell me what the different colors
mean for body functions. On the felt board I have created a board. Each square on the
board is a different color with a different body part/ function that it supports.
2. Pull a piece of paper from a hat/basket. Each paper will have a different health benefit or
body part on it.
3. Tell the students what health benefit or body part on the card is. Have them tell you what
color they think it goes with. Once they guess the color, place a marker over that color
on the felt board. If they are having a hard time guessing the color, give them hints such
as a food that is associated with that benefit.
4. Try to fill up all the squares with markers!

Conclusion: It is important to have a variety of colors in our diet. More importantly, it’s essential
that these colorful foods are wholesome and fresh, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The
colors make up more than the appearance of the foods we eat. By eating the colors of the
rainbow through wholesome fruits and vegetables, we know we are getting the proper nutrients
to keep our bodies strong, healthy, and well fueled. They can represent important nutrients that
our bodies need to stay healthy and fueled.

Additional Acorn Squash Recipes to Try at Home


1.Stuffed Acorn Squash (recipe serves 4)

Ingredients:
- 2 acorn squashes, halved lengthwise and seeded
*scraping and saving seeds is a great task for kids!
- ~2 Tbls olive oil, for brushing and sautéing
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cups mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh herb of choice (ex: sage, basil, parsley), plus more for garnish
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (or whole grain of choice)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush the olive oil over tops and flesh of squash halves,
season well with salt and pepper, and place on baking sheet flesh side down. Cover
sheet with foil and roast until tender (about 40-50 minutes). Remove from oven and
set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, onion, and mushrooms;
season with salt and pepper. Once soft and golden (about 8 minutes), add fresh herb.
Cook 1-2 more minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cooked brown rice. Divide rice mixture and fill squash
halves evenly. Garnish with extra herb. Serve warm.
Adapted from:
http://www.lonny.com/Entertaining+Idea+of+the+Day/articles/nuTnfdvpLxG/Easy+Weeknight
+Dinner+Stuffed+Acorn+Squash

2. No-Waste Roasted Squash Seeds (Classroom Option)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup acorn squash seeds
- 1 Tbls olive oil
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
*Feel free to get creative with additional seasonings!
*A wide range of spices taste great (ex. Paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili
powder)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. In a colander, rinse the squash seeds to remove any pulp. Pat dry and place in a
small bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and any additional seasoning of choice, then toss to
coat evenly.
3. Pour the seeds onto the baking sheet and spread to an even flat layer. Bake in oven
about 10-15 minutes (or until a light golden-brown color), making sure to check and
stir halfway through.
4. Let seeds cool and serve.
5. Seeds can be kept and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3
days.
Adapted from:
http://www.homemadeforelle.com/roasted-acorn-squash-seeds/

3. Maple Roasted Acorn Squash “Rings” (recipe serves 4)


Ingredients:
- 2 small acorn squash, cut into ½-inch rings
*This is done by cutting the squash horizontal, not lengthwise like previous recipes
- 2 Tbls olive oil
- 3 Tbls local maple syrup
- Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut out pulpy portion of squash from rings to remove
seeds. *set aside to roast in previous recipe
2. Arrange rings onto large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, and season
generously with salt and pepper.
3. Roast until fork-tender (~25 minutes), flipping the rings halfway through.
4. Remove and serve warm.
Adapted from:
https://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/roasted-acorn-squash-with-rosemary/
Autumn Harvest: Tomatoes

Introduction (10 Minutes):


● Having prior knowledge of what part of the plant we are actually consuming when
considering fruits and vegetables is an important part of building a true connection to our
food and how it grows. Fruits and vegetables are essential to keeping our body strong
and healthy, which is why being aware of what defines it to be a technical fruit or
vegetable can ultimately build this relationship. Botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-
bearing structure that grows from the flowering of a plant, where vegetables are all other
plant parts, including roots, stems, and leaves. In today’s lesson, we will discuss
common fruits and vegetables that may have an incorrect reputation and use them for a
yummy recipe.
● Introduce ourselves
● Pull out the “mystery item” and ask what it is
○ Who has eaten it? / How was it prepared?
● Introduce how today will run:
○ We will be making a homemade salsa with local ingredients
○ Next, we’ll begin by preparing ingredients and starting the cooking process
○ When finished the recipe, we will transition into activities to learn about plant
parts and what classifies fruits vs. vegetables.
● Divide into groups -- give each group specific roles and tasks to complete for the recipe.
● Guide, demonstrate, and help with preparations (including chopping, getting to know
each ingredient, and any necessary techniques)
● While preparing ingredients, reflect back to previous lessons, try to see if students can
recall past techniques
● Explore students’ senses (taste as we cook, smell each ingredient, feel textures, etc.)
● Demonstrate combining ingredients, talking through each one’s plant part as you go
● Proceed to Intern Guide and complete activities
○ Pre-K and K Guided Journey: I am going to ask you to close your eyes if you feel
comfortable or just soften your gaze and imagine eating your favorite summer
food. Try to pick a fruit or a veggie you love to eat on a summer day.. When you
have that pictured touch your nose. Smell it. Touch your mouth when you can
taste it. Cradle it in your hands so you can feel it. Put your hands over your heart
and smile if you feel grateful to have such a wonderful farm fresh food.”
○ For Grades 1-3 guide an imaginary journey. When finished partners pass the
“imaginary food” to a friend and give three clues about scent, flavor, feel.
Exchange imaginary foods and repeat guessing game.
○ Grades 4-6 can go deeper. Divide students into cooking teams, write a
collaborative recipe, and do trial runs to prepare favorite summer veggies in
assorted ways.

Teacher’s “Getting Ready” Preparation


Tools and Safety
● Recommended Tools: Kid-friendly knives, kid-powered food processor (name brands)
● Pre-K and K: Consider having some of the spicy ingredients chopped, diced, and
measured for combining and sorting.
○ Note to Pre-K and K Educator: Jalapeno seeds can be sensitive on skin and care
should be taken not to rub face or eyes when handling these seeds. Rolling and
pulverizing fruits and seeds allows the kinesthetic learner to use muscle power
and muscle memory to deepen their understanding and recall capacities. These
techniques enable all students to penetrate the lesson and build up the body
while preparing AND eating the foods. Double deep nutrition.
● 1-3: Consider prepping some of the challenging ingredients (chopping onion, garlic,
herbs) yet allow children to be appropriately involved in some prep and in measuring,
grating, and simple chopping.
● 4-6: Consider having students help prepare all ingredients, dividing out tasks to
individual groups.
● Ask cooks to remove cilantro leaves from the stems, safely grate garlic and sweet
onions on a ceramic grater, roll tomatoes to break them open and place in kid-powered
salsa maker. Roll limes to loosen the skin from the juices. Pulverize cumin seeds into
powder with a mortar and pestle. Sniff each ingredient as you prepare it. Identify any
ingredients that have seeds and set some seeds aside to examine the variety of forms
(tomato, lime, jalapeno, cumin). Discover where in the fruit the seeds cling in each plant.

History of Tomatoes
● The tomato plant traces back to early Aztec settlements around 700 A.D, suggesting it is
native to the Americas. Around the 16th century was when Europeans were introduced
to the tomato when early explorers set sail to the Americas in hopes to discover new
lands. At first, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous because of the way their high acid
content caused lead from certain serving plates to transpire onto them, causing
poisoning and death. We still experience this today if aluminum foil comes into contact
with tomato sauce when baking tomato-based casseroles. Tiny holes form in the foil
and small particles of foil separate and make contact with the top layer of the lasagna.
Eventually they realized it was, in fact, safe to consume, and quickly became a staple
form of produce, appearing in various signature recipes, including pizza, canning and
sauces. Wild tomatoes are members of the nightshade family and are toxic.
● The name “tomato” comes from the Nahuatl word tomatl, meaning “the swelling fruit”.
When the Aztecs began growing and harvesting tomatoes, they called the newer
species xitomatl (or jitomates), meaning “fat water with navel”. Despite the common
controversy of defining tomatoes to be fruits or vegetables, tomatoes are botanically the
fruit of the plant but commonly considered a “culinary vegetable” because of the low
sugar content and typical methods of preparation.

Plant Facts
● Family/Species: Solanum lycopersicum
● Typically, we prepare, cook and eat the fruit of the tomato plant.

Health Benefits/ Plant Nourishment


● Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant lycopene, which is linked to many health benefits,
such as protecting from heart disease and certain cancers. They are also a great source
of vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin K.

Today’s Recipe: “Fresh Homemade Salsa”

Salsa Recipe (15 minutes): (Serving Size: Heaping half TBS: 20 servings)
Ingredients:
- 3 Roma Tomatoes, quartered -⅛ Jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
- ¼ Large Yellow Onion, roughly chopped -Juice of ½ Lime
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed -¼ c. loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ teaspoon of Cumin -¼ teaspoon of Sea Salt
- A pinch of Pepper
1. Place Jalapeño, Onion, and Garlic into food processor, pulse 5 times
2. Place Tomato, Cilantro, Cumin, Salt, Pepper, and Squeezed Lime in, Pulse 12 times
Suggestions for tasting:
● “Don’t yuck my yum”
● Heads-down vote (allows unbiased student opinion). Tally on whiteboard
● Write down any notable quotes
● Children feedback
○ Older children start naming specific characteristics (bitter, salty, sweet, sour,
umami)
■ Not only “do they like it or not” but “what they like/don’t about it”
■ Allows them to start making suggestions for change/additions to recipes

Intern Guide for Various Age Groups

Objective: Students will learn and identify the differences between a fruit and a vegetable
based on the part of the plant used for cooking and eating.
Intern: Today we’re going to learn about the differences that classifies fruits versus vegetables.
I imagine you all have a sense of what is typically thought to be a fruit or vegetable but there
may be a couple examples that may surprise you to be botanically the opposite. Is a fruit
“opposite” of a vegetable??)
“I would like everyone to start by thinking in their mind 5 different fruits and 5 vegetables
that first come to mind and share what category you think they fall into. Would someone like to
share two they thought of?”
When we know the true differences between fruits and vegetables we can assure we are
getting a full spectrum of nutrients, can properly prepare them, and build a deeper connection to
our food.

Fruits vs. Vegetables


● Defined: Fruits grow out of the part of the plant with a flower and have seeds inside.
Vegetables are any other part of the plant other than the fruit (like stems, roots, leaves,
and bulbs).
● Further examples: Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, corn, squash, and green beans are
all technically fruits! Lettuces, asparagus, beets, carrots, celery, cabbage, broccoli, and
brussel sprouts are all considered vegetables.

Activities:
Preschool-Kindergarten Gather a variety of tomatoes and explore the assortment of shapes
and colors. Cut a few open to see the seeds inside. If you have heirloom varieties save a few
seeds. Let them dry in a fine sieve to separate from the gelatin-like substance that surrounds
them. Decorate seed packets. Store in a cool dry location until seed starting under lights in April.
Grades 1-3: Which ingredients in this recipe are fruits? Vegetables?
Grades 4-6: Observe a tomato plant in flower stage and fruiting stage. Observe over time the
changes between the two phases. Draw your observations.

1. With a raise of hands, ask who has ever seen a tomato plant? (the kids will want to
share stories here, and as much as we want to encourage their enthusiasm, in the
interest of time tell them we have to move on to get to the fun stuff)
2. Ask the students to pin the tomato on the felt board to show where it grows. What part
of the plant is a tomato?
a. Give them the options: is it the leaf, root, stem, flower, fruit?
3. There is a lot of confusion around whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. “Make your
body into the shape of the letter of “F” if you think tomatoes are a fruit… Put your arms
into the shape of a “V” if you think a tomato is a vegetable.
● Tomatoes are actually the fruit of the plant but are considered vegetables
because of their savory taste. Botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-bearing
structure that develops from a flowering plant, so every fruit has a flower that it
has grown from. (show picture of life cycle of a tomato and a few pictures of
squash blossoms and the flowers before beans)
● Reiterate: So fruits are the part of the plant with seeds, right? Can we think of
any other foods we think of as “vegetables” with seeds? What about peppers?
Squash? Eggplant? Cucumbers? Even Beans! All of these are technically the
fruits of the plant, whereas leaves, stems, and roots, like kale, celery, and carrots
are considered vegetables.
4. Now let’s take a tour of the garden and check out some fruits and vegetables!
(Walk around to different garden plants and ask if we eat the fruit or vegetable part of it)

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