Grand Ideas

I need to try new foods.

I need to eat a variety of foods.

There are many different foods that I can eat.

Children like to explore their worlds. Part of this exploration includes trying new foods and becoming aware of cultural, ethnic, and regional food differences. Young children need to try new foods so that they will become aware of the availability of different foods and learn to like and eat a wide variety of foods.

Teacher Know How

Nutrition is the foundation of good health. The food children eat plays a major part in shaping their health and well-being throughout, life. No one is born knowing how to select good foods, it is a skill that everyone must learn. Ideally, nutrition education should begin in preschool because this is when the foundation for life-long eating habits is established.

The goal of preschool nutrition education is to provide opportunities for children to enjoy and feel good about food. The willingness to taste and accept new foods is an especially important goal for preschool children. Most young children have seen and tasted a limited number of foods. If given the opportunity to taste and explore new foods in positive and supportive surroundings, children are more apt to develop a good attitude toward food and eating.

Parents and teachers are in an ideal position to guide children in learning good eating habits. Children live what they learn. That is, preschool children are great imitators. They imitate playmates, their parents and other family members and their teachers. Thus, it is important for parents and teachers to demonstrate positive, healthy behaviors at mealtimes. If an adult refuses to try a food, makes negative comments or makes faces at foods, no amount of coaxing is going to convince a child to taste the food. It is important to think about what we say about food and the way we look and act when food is served. It is much easier to develop good food habits than to "undo" poor ones.

Nutrition education is also an excellent way to help children experience similarities and differences among people. For example, everyone must eat, but we may choose to eat different foods. The foods we choose to eat vary according to our ethnicity, culture, religion, nationality and even where we live. The food customs of the United States are diverse so it is especially important that children learn at an early age to accept these differences. Exposure to ethnic, regional and cultural foods through cooking experiences and tasting parties can help children understand and accept themselves and others.

The purpose of this unit is to help children develop some basic nutrition skills and knowledge. They will have the opportunity to -explore their feelings about tasting and eating new foods. Mealtime is a good time to implement or reinforce many of the concepts taught in this unit.

Teachers may want to. begin discussing the relationship of food and eating to growth in this unit. The lesson, Watch Me. Grow (7-12), can be used to facilitate the understanding of this concept by preschoolers. In addition, if this lesson is begun now, the children will have grown by the is time UNIT 7 is taught.

The following books can be used to reinforce the concepts taught in this unit and are especially useful for introducing new foods:

Bread And Jam For Francis (R. Hoban, -Harper and Row, New York, 1964).

Gregory The Terrible Eater (M. Sharmat, Scholastic Book Service, New York, 1980).

Food Is Good: Book 1--Kim Likes To Eat (Yakima Home Economics Association, P. 0. Box 2424, Yakima, Washington 98902, 1973).

How To Make Elephant Bread (K. Mandry and J. Toto, Pantheon Books, New York, 1971).

Quantity Ethnic And Vegetarian Recipes For Head Start Centers (San Francisco State University, 604 Font Boulevard, San Francisco, California 94132).

Objectives

Children will accept and try a variety of new foods.
Children will describe how they feel about trying new foods.
 
 

To Know and Learn

By listening to Maggie's Secret children will learn that eating new foods can be fun. They will also learn that it is important to eat a variety of foods in order to grow big and strong.

Materials Needed

Maggie's Secret story on page 1-3 food and story pictures on pages 1-19--;1-20
flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard or wall
thumbtacks or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

Color and cut out the food and story pictures on pages 1-19--;1-20.

Read Maggie's Secret on page 1-3 the children. Thumbtack or tape the food and story pictures to a flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard or wall to illustrate the story.

After the story has been read, ask the children to answer the following questions:

What foods had Maggie never tried? (tortillas, tomatoes, beans, corn, zucchini and mushrooms)

What are the colors of these foods? (brown, red, yellow, green and white)

What are the shapes of these foods? (round and long)

Why is it important to try new foods? (to eat a variety of foods)

What was Maggie's secret? (try new foods to grow big and strong)

This lesson is particularly effective when a new food is served after the story.

The following books can be used to reinforce the
concepts taught in this lesson:

Bread And Jam For Francis (R. Hoban, Harper and Row PubI ishers, Inc., New York, 1964).

Hamburgers And Ice Cream (E. Clymer, Dutton, New York, 1975).

Food Is Good: Book 1—Kim Likes To Eat (Yakima Home Economics Association, P. 0. Box 2424, Yakima, Washington 98902, 1973).

Gregory The Terrible Eater (M. Sharmat, Scholastic Book Service, New York, 1980).

Food For Thought

Have the children name one new food they have tried recently. Ask them to describe where they ate the food and who else was there when they ate the food.
 
 

"Hello, my name is Maggie the Monkey.

I am happy as can be because I know a secret that is good for me. Do you know what my secret is? Then let me tell you my story now, and then I have got to go tell Bessie the Cow.

There once was a time when I never tried new foods. And to every offer of tortillas, tomatoes or beans I was rude.

I never ate foods colored white, red or brown or foods that have a shape I call round. At corn, zucchini and mushrooms I frowned.

Now. I look back and think, oh what a clown. Because eating new foods everyday, is the best way to grow big and strong, I'd say. So don't frown when a new food is on your plate. Say hello new food, happy to meet you mate I

And when you see that new food on your plate, remember me and my secret for... saying yes, please, I'll try some more. Because...

Children will practice trying new foods by reading the Dr. Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham, and Making Scrambled Eggs.

Materials Needed

Green Eggs and Ham story *
Scramble Them Green picture recipe on page 1-21
eggs
pureed parsley or spinach
stove or hot plate
pan
whisk
fork
spatula
bowl
spoon
paper cups

Directions

Read Green Eggs and Ham to children. It is a story about a character who would not try green eggs and ham until he was convinced to eat them by Sam-I-Am. He eventually tries the green eggs and ham and likes them.

After the story has been read, ask the children the following questions:

What does Sam want the character to do? (eat green eggs and ham)

Why won't the character eat the green eggs and ham? (he says he does not like them)

Did the character ever try green eggs and ham before?, (no)

Why does Sam-I-Am want the character to try them? (he might like them)

Does the character finally try the green eggs and ham? (yes)

Does the character like the green eggs and ham? (yes)

Ask the children if they would like to eat green eggs.

How could we make the green eggs? What would we do first?

Display the Scramble Them Green picture recipe on page 1-21. Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• break the eggs and beat them in a bowl
• add pureed parsley or spinach
• heat eggs in pan until firm or cooked

What color are the scrambled eggs?

Have you ever tried green eggs before?

What do you think the green eggs will taste like?

Let the children eat the green eggs and ask them:

What did the green eggs taste like?

Do you like the taste of the green eggs?

What are other foods you don't wont to try?

Why-do you not want to try these foods?

Food For Thought

Have the children summarize the story Green Eggs and Ham and then give possible reasons why the character did not want to try the green eggs.

· Seuss, Dr. "Green Eggs and Ham." New York: Random House, 1960.
 

To Know and Learn

Singing the Try Me Today song and sampling new food will help children learn that we need to try new foods.

Materials Needed

Try Me Today song below
unfamiliar or new foods (for example: apricot, date, kiwi, seaweed, mango, red cabbage and dandelion greens)
knife
papercups
Ham and cutting board

Directions

Talk with the children about the importance of trying new foods. Point out that we need to eat new and different foods to grow big and strong.

Sing Try Me Today below. Repeat each line until the children know it well. Ask them to describe who needs new foods and why it is important to eat new foods.

Wash, cut and serve several foods that are new or unfamiliar to the children. Encourage children to help with the food preparation in order to enhance their experience and the likelihood that they will try the food. Also, encourage the children to try the new foods.

Have the children describe the new foods.

Sing the song again.

An adaption of The Little Engine That could, story , can be used in this lesson.

Food For Thought

Ask children to explain why it is important for them to try new foods.

To Know and Learn

Children will describe how they feel about trying new foods by acting out their feelings.

Materials Needed

food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used or cut out of magazines, newspapers, seed catalogs or grocery store advertisements)

Directions

Ask the children what they like about trying new foods.

Have them describe reasons why we like new foods. Reasons for liking new foods include:

• the way food tastes, looks, feels, smells or sounds
• family likes the food
• friends like the food
• the food is eaten on special occasions
• the food makes us feel good

Describe how our feelings can affect what we eat. We may eat more when we are happy or having fun and we may eat less when we are sad or lonely.

Also mention that we eat certain foods on special occasions. For example, we often eat ice cream and cake at birthday parties or turkey at Thanksgiving. Have children name foods they eat on holidays (for example, Cinco de Mayo or Chinese New Year) or on other special occasions (for example, baseball games or at the movies).

Ask the children to pick a food picture and to act out how they felt when they first tasted the food or when they taste the food now. They could also describe the food. For example, grapes could be described as round, green or purple and juicy. To act Out eating grapes, the children could pretend to pull a grape from a grape cluster, have it squirt when they chew it; and then smile and rub their stomachs saying "mmm-mmm good."

Food For Thought

Ask the children to describe their feelings about trying a new food by drawing a happy, neutral or sad face.

To Know and Learn

Children will create and discuss a visual display depicting new foods that they have tried.

Materials Needed

paper
flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard, wall or large paper
thumbtacks or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
food pictures (optional)

Directions

Have the children draw or cut out two new foods that they have tried recently.

After they have drawn or cut out the food pictures, ask the children to name some of the pictures that were drawn. Ask the children to describe the color and shape of these foods.

After all the children have shown their food pictures, have a discussion. Ask the following questions:

What are the names of the new foods?

How many of the children have tried the same new foods?

What are the shapes of the foods?

What are the colors of the foods?

Where do we find the foods?

When are these foods served?

Where are these foods served?

After the discussion, have the children thumbtack or tape their pictures to a flannel board, bulletin board, blackboard, wall or a sheet of paper to make a collage.

To help the children remember some of the new foods they have eaten recently, display pictures of the foods that they have eaten for lunch. This activity may work best after a lunch when a new food was served.

Food For Thought.

Have children name other new foods they have tried recently.
 
 

Children will understand that trying new foods is important.

Materials Needed

"I TRIED IT" badge pattern on page 1-22
construction paper
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip makers
scissors
ribbon or string (optional)

Directions

Ask children to name new foods they have tried recently.

Give children the badges and have them draw or color one new food they have tried recently.

Cut out the circle and a long, straight strip of colored paper (this could also be decorated, or ribbon or string could be used).

Fold the strip of paper in half and glue or tape it to the back of the "I TRIED IT" badge.

After the badges have been made, let each child show his or her badge to the other children and name a new food he or she has eaten. Then have the child repeat the following while pointing to the "I TRIED IT" badge:

Have the other children clap if they have tried the food, or put their hands on their knees if they have not tried the food.

This activity could follow a taste testing party, breakfast or lunch when a new food has been served.

Food For Thought

To determine the children's feelings about trying new foods, name a food and have them clap if they would like to try or have tried the food or put their hands on their knees if they have not tried the food.
 
 

Children will recognize that eating and drinking a variety of foods at each meal can be fun by singing Happily We Eat Our Foods.

Materials Needed

Happily We Eat Our Foods, see below.

Directions

Review reasons why we eat. Ask the children to describe why they eat (for example, food tastes good, hunger, for energy, to grow bigger and stronger, to be with other).

Read Happily We Eat Our Foods, see below, to the children. Ask the children to repeat each line of the song until they know it well. Act out eating and drinking while singing the song.

Sing Happily We Eat Our Foods before meals. Have the children point to the foods and act our eating or drinking each food or beverage.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to give reasons why we are happy when we eat a variety of foods at each meal.

Children will discover that vegetables are enjoyable to eat by preparing a Vegetable Tasting Party. They will also practice fine motor skills by washing and cutting the vegetables for the Tasting Party.

Materials Needed

Vegetables that are new to the children (for example: green pepper, red cabbage, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, bean sprouts, mush rooms, turnip, raw spinach, kohlrabi, beans and/or peas)

lemon yogurt
knife
cutting board
paper plates
bowls

Directions

Review the different vegetables that we eat. Ask the children to name the vegetables that they eat often.

Prepare a Veggie Wedgies Tasting Party. To do this, have the children:

• wash and cut a variety of raw vegetables that are not familiar to the children
• place the vegetables on paper plates
• put lemon yogurt in a bowl to be used as a dip for the vegetable wedges

Discuss the part of the plant that each vegetable is (stem, root, leaf, flower, seed or fruit).

Have the children eat the Veggie Wedgies and describe the sound each vegetable makes when chewed.

Vegetables can also be combined and served as a salad.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name a variety of vegetable foods.
 

By making Indian Flapjacks children will practice food preparation skills and learn to try new and unfamiliar foods. They will also practice reading readiness, counting and fine motor skills. (*This is an adaptation of the traditional recipe of the American Indian tribes.)

Materials Needed

picture recipe on page 1-23
cornmeal
salt
water
stove or hot plate
pot
pan
bowl
spoon
spatula
paper plates

Directions

Describe a variety of foods that can be eaten. Talk about the need to try new foods continually throughout life.

Ask children to name a variety of foods.

Ask the children if they have ever tried Indian Flapjacks (or a similar food, such as crepe, tortilla, pita bread or other flat, round bread).

Display the Indian Flapjacks picture recipe on page 1-23. Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• mix the cornmeal and boiling water
• pinch off small pieces of dough
• roll them into a ball and flatten
• cook on ungreased pan until brown

How can the Indian Flapjacks be described?

What are other names for flapjacks?

Let the children eat Indian Flapjacks and ask them to describe the taste and texture of the food.

The flapjacks can be served with syrup or fruit or sprinkled with powdered sugar.

The following book or others about American Indians can be used with this lesson:

Little Runner (B. Baker, Harper and Row Publishers, Inc., New York 1962).

Food For Thought

Have the children name the Indian Flapjacks ingredients.
 
 

Materials Needed
Indian Pudding picture recipe on page 1-24
oven
milk
molasses
yellow cornmeal
sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
stove or hot plate
pan
baking dish
spoons
paper cups

Directions

Review the need to eat a variety of foods. Ask the children to name a variety of foods.

Talk about the importance of trying new and different foods throughout life. Ask the children whether they have ever tried Indian Pudding.

Prepare Indian Pudding from the picture recipe on page 1-24.

Display the picture recipe and review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• heat milk and molasses slowly in pan
• add remaining ingredients

cook slowly, stirring constantly until thickened (about 20 minutes)
• bake for 55 minutes at 375F

Have the children serve the Indian Pudding in paper cups and eat the pudding. Ask them to describe the Indian Pudding using their senses.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name the ingredients used to prepare lndian Pudding and describe them using their senses.

* This is a traditional recipe of the Native Americans from the Northeastern United States.
 
 

To Know and Learn

By preparing and eating Tasty Tortillas *, children will practice food preparation skills and have the opportunity to try a new food. Children will also practice reading readiness, counting and fine motor skills during this activity. ( Tortillas are commonly eaten in Mexico, and in many Latin American and South American countries.)

Materials Needed

Tasty Tortilla picture recipe on page 1-25

flour
baking powder
lard or vegetable fat
griddle
stove or hot plate
bowl
rolling pin
spatula
paper plates

Directions

Ask the children to name a variety of foods. Describe the importance of eating different foods everyday. Emphasize the need to try new foods throughout life.

Ask the children if they have ever prepared and/or tried tortillas, Mexican pancakes or other pancake- type food (for example, crepes, egg roll skins, etc.).

Display the Tasty Tortilla picture recipe on page 1-25.

Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• combine ingredients in a bowl
• roll a small piece of dough into a pancake
• fry in an ungreased griddle until brown

Name the ingredients used to make tortillas. Describe each ingredient.

Cooked tortillas could also be filled with ground beef, cheese and/or vegetables, and then sampled by the children.

The following book or others about Mexico and Mexicans can be included in this lesson:

Amigo (B. Scheitzer, MacMillan Publishing Company, New York, 1963).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to identify the foods used to prepare the tortillas and describe them using their senses.
 
 

To Know and Learn

By preparing and eating Wonderful Wontons *, children will practice food preparation skills and have an opportunity to try a new food. Children will also practice fine motor, reading readiness and counting skills by participating in this activity. ( Wontons originated in the Orient.)

Materials Needed

Wonderful Wontons picture recipe on page 1-26
wonton skins
ground, lean beef
chicken broth
stove or hot plate
griddle
pot
bowl
spatula
bowls or paper plates
spoons

** Wonton skins can be purchased in most Chinese groceries or restaurants. They may also be found in the produce section of certain supermarkets.

Directions

Ask the children to name a variety of foods. Describe the importance of eating different foods everyday.

Ask the children if they have ever prepared and/or tried wontons.

Display the Wonderful Wontons picture recipe on page 1-26.

Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• place 1 tsp. of beef in the center of each wonton skin
• fold the wonton skin in half, moisten skin slightly and seal meat inside
• pinch the two corners of the wonton skin together so it looks like a sailor hat
• boil 20 minutes in chicken broth (make sure beef is completely cooked)

Name the ingredients used to make wontons. Describe each ingredient.

The following books may be used to further explore the concepts taught in this lesson:

Moy Moy (L. Politi, Charles Scribbner's Sons, New York, 1960).

The Rice Bowl Pet (P. Martin, Crowell Company, New York, 1962).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to identify the foods that were used to prepare the wontons and describe them using their senses.
 

By preparing and eating Corn Bread, children will practice food preparation skills and have an
opportunity to try a new food. Children will also practice fine motor, reading readiness and counting skills during this activity.

Materials Needed

Corn Bread picture recipe on page 1-27
yellow cornmeal
flour
sugar
baking powder
margarine
egg
milk
oven
muffin tin
bowl
spoon

Directions

Ask the children to name a variety of foods. Describe the importance of eating a variety of-foods everyday.

Ask the children if they have ever prepared and/or tried Corn Bread.

Display the Corn Bread picture recipe on page 1-27.

Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:

• blend 1 cup yellow corn meal, 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, 4 tsp, baking powder, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup margarine and 1 egg for 20 seconds
• beat vigorously for 1 minute
• pour into greased muffin tin
• bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown

Name the ingredients that were used to make the Corn Bread.

Describe each ingredient.

The following books can be used to further explore the concepts taught in this lesson and the Southern culture:

Corduroy (D. Freeman, The Viking Press, Inc., New York, 1968).

Black Is Beautiful (A. McGovern, Four Winds Press, 1969).

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name the ingredients used to make Corn Bread and describe them using their senses.
 
 

To Know and Learn

By preparing and eating Southern Biscuits, children will practice food preparation skills and have the opportunity to try a new food. Children will also practice fine motor, reading readiness and counting skills during this activity.

Materials Needed

Southern Biscuits picture recipe on page 1-28

white flour
baking powder
salt
vegetable oil
milk
hot plate or frying pan
rolling pin
measuring spoons and cups
bowl
spoon

Directions

Ask the children to name a variety of foods. Discuss the importance of eating a variety of foods everyday.

Ask the children if they have ever prepared and/or tried Southern Biscuits.

Display the Southern Biscuits picture recipe on page 1-28.

Review the directions with the children. Have them:

• measure 2 cups flour, 3 3/4 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt
• stir in 1/3 cup vegetable oil and 3/4 cup milk
• lightly flour table top and knead dough
• roll out dough into 1/4 inch thickness
• cut dough into desired size (drinking glass edge works well)
• cook in lightly greased frying pan at low heat until brown
• turn over and repeat for both sides

Name the ingredients that were used to make the Southern Biscuits. Describe each ingredient.

Food For Thought

Ask children to name the ingredients in the Southern Biscuits and describe them using the senses.

To Know and Learn

By preparing and eating Boston Brown Breads, children will practice food preparation skills and have the opportunity to try a new food. Children will also practice fine motor, counting skills by participating in this activity. ( This is a regional dish from New England area of the United States.)

Materials Needed

Boston Brown Bread picture recipe on page 1-29

salt
baking soda
whole wheat flour
raisins
white flour
butter milk
cornmeal
molasses
tin cans or tube pan
bowl
spoon
water
stove
pan
aluminum foil

Directions

Ask the children to name a variety of foods. Discuss the importance of eating a variety of foods everyday.

Ask the children if they have ever prepared and/or tried Boston Brown Bread.

Display the Boston Brown Bread picture recipe on page 1-29.

Review the directions with the children until they know them well. Have the children:
 

 
• grease four 1-pound cans or one 7-inch tube pan

 
• beat all ingredients 1/2 minute

 
• fill cans or mold 2/3 full

 
• cover tightly with aluminum foil

 
• place a rack in a Dutch oven

 
• pour boiling water into the pan up to the level of the rack

 
• place cans or pan on rack

 
• cover Dutch oven

 
• steam bread by keeping the water boiling over low heat

 
• steam bread three hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

 
• if necessary, add boiling water during steaming

 
• remove bread immediately from cans

 

Name the ingredients that were used to make Boston  Brown Bread. Describe these ingredients.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name the ingredients used to make Boston Brown Bread and describe these ingredients using their senses. Canned Boston Brown Bread can be used to expose children to this regional food.