Food Is Elementary

For my 3 sessions with Food is Elementary, I visited Harmar Elementary with Liz Luckenbaugh. I went February 11th, where we made Egyptian Bulgur salad and quinoa tabouli, March 4th, where we made a delicious fruit tart and March 18th for hummus and black bean dip. February 11th focused on whole grains labeled as “What’s with whole grains?”, March 4th was all about fruits and March 18th was “We Love Legumes.”
The Egyptian bulgur salad and quinoq tabouli was definitely one of the least favorite meals we prepared. The kids were disgusting before we even finished making them, but we had to pretend it was delicious and good for them so they would at least try it. It was scary having a bunch of second graders with knives when we made the fruit tart. About 7 different kinds of fruits were required, and they all had to be cut up very fine, so all eyes were on the knives and little fingers. We found out that most of the kids hated beans so the last day the black bean dip was considered “nasty and smelly.”
From the first day I visited the kids at Harmar, I knew I had my hands full but was blown away by how smart these kids were. We would try and convince them some of the foods were really good, but it seemed like no matter what we told them, they were convinced it was disgusting. By the third visit to the school, the kids became more familiar with us and listened more carefully when we told them directions or personal stories about certain foods. It was neat to see their enthusiasm every time we came to visit, just so they could learn a new recipe and take it home to their parents.
Everything that was on the list to be made for the Food Is Elementary program, is very healthy and for the most part, simple to make. Those are two very important things when trying to get kids to eat healthier. Although some kids had previously formed their own opinions about certain foods, the foods that were new to them seemed exciting and made them all want to try it. It’s important that...