The other day I hosted a nutritional workshop with a “fresh-from-the-garden recipe sampling” for 2 kindergarten and two 4th grade classes at a local elementary school. And what a delight! The garden at Cheremoya Elementary is lush with a variety of vegetables including huge heads of cabbage, zucchini with its yellow blossoms, chard, tomatoes that smell oh so good, fresh mint, lettuce, beans, peas, peppers and even eggplant with its soft fuzzy leaves. An added bonus, my girls were in one of the kindergarten classes I taught.
That’s Ailish and Julia in the inset of image below:
With the support of an http://www.eatright.org Mini-Grant and their wonderful “Nutrition from the Ground Up” toolkit I was able to host a delightful workshop.
The excitement on the kids’ faces when we got to venture into their garden was contagious. I set up a “sensory” exercise where they could SEE the Cabbage, HEAR the crunch of the chard stalk, TASTE the fresh mint, SMELL the tomatoes, and FEEL the fuzzy leaves of the little purple eggplant - there was one that was small, but ripe and ready to pick.
A fresh-from-the-garden “Confetti” salad: Shredded cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli and kale with my homemade lemon yogurt dressing.
Working with kids brings the intuitive delight of nutrition back to home. Exploring the different colors, shapes, textures with all our senses and having the wonderful opportunity to eat fresh-from-the-garden salads and dishes makes my mouth water. It also brings light to the fact that these natural, nutrient-dense foods can make for a super tasty treat (without the preservatives, chemicals and other additives).
After the lesson, they got to taste a wholesome tasty snack made mostly of plant foods. I prepared a yummy “cabbage slaw” using shredded broccoli stems, cabbage, kale and brussel sprouts (kale and brussel sprouts are included in the cabbage family) with my low-fat, low in sugar lemony-yogurt dressing, some dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. A perfect example of how a dish that consists mainly of plant foods can be absolutely delish and the fourth graders loved it – some of them asking for seconds!
Here is my garden fresh recipe:
- 6 cups of mixed, shredded broccoli stems, cabbage, brussel sprouts and kale (you can either use a food processor or buy a premix)
- 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup of non-fat or low-fat yogurt (I prefer Greek)*
- juice of 2-3 lemons**
- If using a plain, unsweetened yogurt, add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey (or try stevia to taste)
*Note: if using a low-fat vanilla yogurt, look for brand 10g sugar per serving ,or less . (I used Kroger, Light Greek Vanilla Yogurt - 6g of sugar!!)
**Add plenty of lemon juice and grate in some lemon rind for a wonderful tanginess and aroma (Meyer lemons are sweeter).
Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Refrigerate and enjoy!
Using fresh, organic produce is a great way to enjoy a healthy-licious lifestyle. Because fresh and organic simply tastes better! Shop for organic produce at your local Farmer’s Market, join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or subscribe to a local Organic Delivery Service — check out Luci Organics!! Kuddos to you if you grow it yourself!
“In the garden” with my girls: Ailish and I talk about fruits & veggies, while Julia juggles.
Filed under: diet, healthy lifestyles, kids and toddlers, Nutri-Savvy, nutrition, parenting, Recipes, Simple Meals, Taste-full Thursdays