About

Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce a new food to the children in your classroom. The more times children are exposed to new foods, the more likely they are to eat and enjoy these foods in the future.

Overview

In this lesson, children will help prepare a healthy snack.

Learning Objectives

  1. Children will complete the fourth of four asparagus tasting experiences.
  2. Children will prepare a healthy snack.

Teaching Objectives

  1. Teachers will model healthy eating behavior for children.

Teaching Tips

  • Encourage each child to take one bite of asparagus.
  • Remember that the more times children are exposed to a new food the more likely they are to develop a taste preference for that food.

Prep Info

knife and cutting board

Equipment Required

materials illustration

Materials/Supplies

* Optional

handwashing illustration

Before the Lesson

  • Immediately before the lesson, ask the children to put on their chef aprons, chef hats, and wash their hands.

An easy way to steam fresh asparagus:

  1. Remove one spear from the asparagus bundle and snap.
  2. Line up bundle with snapped spear and cut rest of spears at approximately the same location, saving the ends with a head.
  3. Place spears in a colander over a pot of boiling water. Steam until very tender.

Activity

Introduction

Making the asparagus flowers will work well in small groups.

Remind children that anytime chefs make food, they wash their hands; and great chefs always taste the food that they make.

Words to Use

Activity Description

Prepare the following recipe with the children in your classroom.

  1. Demonstrate to the children how to make an asparagus flower.
    • Create the stalk of a flower out of pieces of asparagus and place in the middle of your plate.
    • Place quartered tomatoes and other (optional) colorful vegetables on the top of the spear. These vegetables represent the petals.
    • Place a few spinach leaves around the base of the asparagus stalk to represent the leaves.
  2. Instruct each child to create his/her own asparagus flower.
  3. Ask each child to taste his/her asparagus flower. Encourage children to take at least one bite of asparagus.

Summary

Enrichment

Ask children what colors the different petals are on their own asparagus flowers.

Attention Teachers!

Following this activity, please fill out the teacher’s weekly log form for this lesson.

Weekly Log

Attention Teachers!

Following this activity, please fill out the teacher’s weekly log form for this lesson.