Steamed Veggie Potstickers, Massaged Kale Salads, Homemade (school made) veggie Ramen, and squash popusas have been some of the cooking activities that the students of Ida B. Wells and Aptos Middle School got the opportunity to enjoy.
I themed the nutrition part of my program “Your Food Your Choice”. I believe it is important for students to have the proper knowledge to make important decisions in their food. After going over the nutritional value of Hot Cheetos I asked my students would they stop eating Hot Cheetos and they answered, after assuring that I wouldn’t judge, that they would. I let them know that it is their choice but now they know what they are putting in their bodies. Just last week a month after the Hot Cheetos question, a student came up to me to show me the kale chips his mom made. He explained to me that he told his mom to stop buying chips. That made my day!
Moreover, I show them that they can make some easy decisions to make their food more healthier. We made chicken tacos with a fresh salsa, and a whole wheat tortilla. Students loved it and took the recipes home.
I love how garden education brings nutrition into classrooms. Youth love to know that they have the power to make deccissions about their own food. Cooking in the classrooms not only gives the opportunity to see the whole process from seed to table but it shows that food with thought is amazing. We can tell youth to not eat something and we can show them how bad and gross something can be but at the end it is their food and their choice.
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