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Food games and fun facts for children ages 6 to 10

The James Beard FoundaTion’s

Taste America

Meet the Harvest Heroes!Supermarket Scavenger Hunt

In the Kitchen with the

Spatulatta Girls In the Kitchen with the Spatulatta Girlsmuchand

more!

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sponsored by

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Growing Locally,

Looking GloballyWelcome to Taste America for Kids! We’re the HarveSt HeroeS

and we’re your tasty tour guides through these fun games and activities.

We’re excited to introduce you to all our friends and lead you on a

journey that begins on farms near where you live and ends at your

very own kitchen table.

The fall is our favorite time of year because that is when all of us Harvest

Heroes, and many of our fruit and vegetable friends, reach our peak of

ripeness in the fields and are sold to you and your family to make healthy

meals and snacks.

In this booklet we bring you food facts and games to share with your

family, plus lots to learn about the many healthy fruits and vegetables you

can find at farms and local markets. You can complete the activities on

these pages by yourself or with a friend, parent, or sibling. On some pages

are activities you can fill in, read, and think about right at home; others

involve things for you to do at your local grocery store or farmers’ market.

Look for us HarveSt HeroeS throughout these pages, where

we’ll pop up to offer you tips, facts, ideas, instructions, and information.

Learn more about us and where your food comes from in this

exciting workbook and online at www.jbftasteamerica.com and

www.rachaelraymag.com/tasteamerica!

What grows here? What grows there?

?What’s the lowest number of miles a fruit or veggie could travel before it gets to your plate? (Hint: See page 6.)

take the Local ChallengeDid you know that the average fruit or vegetable travels �,500 miles to get from where it was grown to your table? When you choose seasonal, locally grown fruits and vegetables, you’ll consume more vitamins and minerals—and since the food hasn’t traveled very far, you’ll reduce pollution.

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Growing Locally,

Looking Globally

are we there yet? Food Miles: are we there yet? Food Miles:

Hi, Kids! Growing Locally

are we there yet?

Compare the foods sold at your supermarket or farmers’ market with those that a friend or relative who lives far away can buy at his or her local store.

Fruits and vegetables that grow where you live:

Fruits and vegetables that grow where your friend lives:

Which foods are on both lists? Which are not? Why do you think some foods are more available in certain parts of the country or world? Would your answers vary if you took notes at another time of year? Why?

Food Miles

� 5

Where Do

Fruits and

vegetables

Grow?

Before theHarvestBefore theHarvest

Some vegetables grow underground. Name one that you can think of:

Some fruits and vegetables grow on a vine. Name one that you can think of:

Some fruits and vegetables grow on a tree. Name one that you can think of:

Some fruits and vegetables grow on a bush. Name one that you can think of:

When we eat fruits and vegetables we are eating all sorts of plant parts. Fruits and vegetables can be classified as flowers (did you know that the part of broccoli that you eat is a flower?), fruits (which contain seeds, like green peppers or peaches), leaves (such as cabbage), roots and tubers (which grow underground, like carrots), stems (like asparagus), and seeds (such as peas).

See if you can figure out which plant part each of these fruits and vegetables is: Corn, Tomatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Pears, Celery, Beets, Lima Beans, Radishes, Parsley, Green Beans, Turnips, Strawberries, Spinach, Sprouts, Red Peppers, Potatoes, Lettuce, Cauliflower, Zucchini

Flower

Fruit

Leaves

Root/Tuber

Stem

Seeds

What do you notice about these different types of plant parts? What’s similar about the fruits and vegetables in each category? How are the ones in other categories different?

Huh?Although we think of it as a vegetable, a tomato is actually a fruit!

It’s smart to eat a balance of

vegetables from different parts of

plants—dark green leaves like spinach,

bright seeds like green peas, and

roots like carrots and beets!

� 5

Food for thought:

6 �

Heroes HarvestFacts

It doesn’t get any more local than your own kitchen!

alfalfa seeds, a clear glass quart jar, cheesecloth, a rubber band

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2

4

5

6

7

3

Grow Your ownGrow Your own

Measure two tablespoons of seeds into the jar, and add just enough water to cover the seeds.

Cut a piece of cheesecloth big enough to fit over the lid of the jar with some extra hanging down on each side. Put the cheesecloth over the top of the jar and secure it with the rubber band.

Let the seeds soak overnight.

Bring the jar to the sink and drain out all the water through the cheesecloth. Rinse the seeds in fresh water, and drain out the water again. To sprout, the seeds should be damp, not soaking wet.

Every day for the next �-5 days, as the seeds begin to sprout, rinse them as in step #�. Store the jar upside down out of direct sunlight so it continues to drain. (You might want to put the jar on a tray to catch the water.)

When the sprouts are about � inch long, put the jar upside down on a sunny windowsill so they will turn green.

When the sprouts are green, it’s time to eat and enjoy! Add them to sandwiches or salads, or try them on their own. Store your alfalfa sprouts in the jar in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Ready for more? Try sprouting lentils, mung beans, radish seeds, garbanzo beans, or peas. Experiment with various kinds of seeds. What different flavors do they have?

What to do:

8

What you need:

6

Heroes HarvestFacts

We’re eating a lot more broccoli today than we did �5 years ago—about 900% more! That means for every single head of broccoli eaten in �980, there are 9 heads eaten today. Wow! That’s a lot of broccoli.

Broccoli

Did you know that there are about 800 kernels in an ear of corn? If there are 5 people in your family and each person ate one ear, how many corn kernels did you all eat? What if everyone ate two ears each? The next time your family has corn for dinner, try to figure out how many kernels you all ate!

Corn tastes best right after it’s picked, because it loses its sweetness as the sugar changes quickly to starch. So eat local, fresh corn. It tastes better and is better for you!

Corn

There are more than �,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. These include Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, and Gala. The most widely grown variety in the United States is the Red Delicious.

Are any apples grown near you? How many kinds of apples have you tasted? Which is your favorite?

apple

You can buy alfalfa sprouts in most markets,

but they’re also easy to grow yourself. You

don’t even need any soil to make this tasty and

healthy addition to salads and sandwiches!

�

8 9

Belong?What Doesn’t

Fruit/veggie Wherewasit Howmanydifferent Howmuch

grown?* varietiesareforsale? doesitcost?

Apples

Carrots

Corn

Tomatoes

Kiwis

Eggplants

Potatoes

Lettuce

Other:

• Which fruit or vegetable traveled the farthest?

• Which ones are the most expensive?

• If you had $5.00 to spend on fruits and vegetables,

how many different kinds could you buy?

Take a look at the signs displayed in the store or at the stickers

on the fruit or vegetable. You might also ask someone who works

in the produce section if he or she knows where it was grown.

ScavengerScavengerGo on a Supermarket

Go on a Supermarket

Hunt!Hunt!

Looking Locally

Is there a farmers’ market

near your house? If so, visit

it with a parent and try this

activity again. Before you

go, make some guesses;

then find out the answers

on your outing!

Take a trip to a supermarket near your house

with a parent, friend, or sibling and see if you

can find all the fruits and veggies listed below.

Or set up a friendly, timed competition and see

who can find the most items on the list in �5

minutes. Usethischarttorecordyourfindings.

(Don’t forget to bring a pen with you!)

? Didyouknowthatmost

supermarketssellproductsmade

allovertheworld?Let’slookat

thedifferentkindsoffruitsand

vegetablesthataresoldinyourmarket

andfindoutwheretheyweregrown.

Belong?What Doesn’t

9

answers: pig in the cherry box, creature hiding in the watermelons, man fishing in a goldfish bowl, canned corn, bicycle repair sign, soccer ball, oranges from Antarctica, snake on a leash, blue bananas.

*

Can you find the 9 things in this picture that don’t belong at a farmers’ market?

�0 ��

ask yourself these questions about the mystery item you chose:

Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Where does it grow? (In the ground? On a tree? On a vine?)What part of the plant is it? (root? leaf? flower? stem? seed?)Can it be eaten raw, or does it need to be cooked?How will it taste? Will it be sweet, sour, salty, or bitter?What foods might it taste good with?

Ask the farmer or grocer how it should be served. When you get home, help a parent or other adult prepare it for tasting.

Want to continue the exploration? Pick several more unfamiliar fruits and veggies and set up a tasting station with your friends and family.

Shopping forCultureShopping forCulture

What part or parts of the world does your family come from? Is your family originally from Ireland, Mexico, Pakistan, Canada, Russia, France, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Ghana, China, Australia, or someplace in between?

Ask your parents or grandparents for a favorite family recipe that represents your culture, background, or traditions. Look for local, fresh ingredients to use as you prepare the dish. How many of the ingredients you need are available in a store or market near where you live? How many are not?

Share your recipes with friends and create an international cookbook!

travel the world by eating close to home

I’m originally from Mexico and Central America, first grown by

Native Americans more than �,�00 years ago. But when Spanish

explorers brought me to Europe, I became an important part of

the cuisines of Italy, Spain, and other Mediterranean countries.

Tomato

�0 ��

Harvest Hero:

The next time you visit your local grocery store or farmers’ market, pick a fruit or vegetable that’s new to you. Before asking the grocer or farmer for information, see if you can answer the questions below based on what it looks like, feels like, and smells like.

explorer!Be a Foodexplorer!Be a Food

��

SpatulattaCooking with the

� ears fresh corn, cooked � cup chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes½ cup sliced black olives � ripe avocado, cut into ½-inch cubes

�/� cup goat cheese �/� cup olive oil� tablespoons vinegar or fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste

Isabella and Olivia Gerasole, the creators of

Spatulatta.com and the youngest winners of a James Beard Foundation Award, enjoy making this salad at the end of the summer, when all the fresh

ingredients are at their peak.

Girls

equipment:

Directions:

Big shallow salad bowl, big spoon, small mixing bowl, fork or whisk

Ask an adult to cut the kernels off the corn cobs.

In the big shallow bowl, spread the corn out in an even layer to form the base of the salad.

Make a ring of tomatoes around the edge of the bowl.

Next, make a ring of olives inside the ring of tomatoes.

Put the avocado chunks in the middle.

Make little lumps of goat cheese and arrange them on top.

Into the small mixing bowl, pour the vinegar. Slowly add the olive oil while mixing with the fork or whisk until blended.

Add salt and pepper to the dressing until it tastes the way you like it.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy!

1

2

45

67

3

You’ll

need:

end of Summer Saladend of Summer Salad

8

9

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What Istaste?

What Istaste?

Take a look in the mirror and stick out your tongue. All those little bumps on your tongue are called taste buds. When you eat and drink, they help you identify flavors by sending a message to your brain about what’s in your mouth. Taste is one of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, and touch are the others). Taste helps us to pick and enjoy the foods we eat. There are four main tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

Can you guess what flavors the foods below have? Match the foods to the taste you think they will have. Then taste each one and see how well you guessed.

apple, peanut, orange peel, pickle, raw broccoli, unsweetened chocolate, crackers, honey, green pepper, lemon juice, carrot, onion

Sweet:

Sour:

Bitter:

Salty:

about smell! try holding your nose while you eat something.

Does that make it harder to taste the flavors?

Don’t forget

What other foods can you think of that belong in each category?

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Phot

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Oliv

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GirlsGirls SpatulattaCooking with the

Girls

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While you’re at the market, pick up some ingredients for these nutritious and tasty snacks and meal ideas. Experiment with different types of fruits and vegetables. (You might need help from an adult or

older sibling to make these recipes.)

Ever eaten ants? Try making “Ants on a Log”Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top it with raisins or dried cranberries. For this protein-filled snack, pick a natural kind of peanut butter with no added sugar. Some stores even let you grind your own peanuts! Experiment with almond or cashew butter, too. (Allergic to nuts? Soy or sunflower butters are good alternatives.)

Say Cheese! Apples and pears go great with cheese Slice up fruit and eat it with cheddar, Swiss, or goat cheese. See if you can buy cheese from a cheesemonger (which is a fancy word for someone who sells cheese) or a farm near where you live.

Morning Wake-up! Instead of eating instant preflavored oatmeal, make a natural, sugar-free kind and flavor it yourself with small pieces of apricots, peaches, berries, apples, or other fresh fruit.

Fruit Kabobs Watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, oh my! Cut different types of fruit into chunks and put them on skewers. Try making patterns with colors and shapes.

Super Salad Sandwiches Pile up fresh veggies on slices of your favorite bread for a healthy, hearty lunch. Try sweet red peppers, cucumber slices, shredded carrots, tomatoes, avocado, and your homegrown sprouts. How many different-colored veggies can you include? Use whole-grain bread and add some hummus or cheese for extra protein.

other ways to enjoy Harvest Heroes!

MarketMunchiesMarketMunchies

���5

James Beardabout the James Beard

Founded in �986 and based in James Beard’s former Greenwich Village town house in New York City, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to preserving, nurturing, and celebrating America’s culinary heritage through a variety of programs, including scholarships, awards, educational opportunities, and special dinners. To find out more about the Foundation, please visit our website at www.jamesbeard.org.In �00�, to celebrate the organization’s �0th anniversary, we created the James Beard Foundation’s taste america, a national food festival celebrating American cuisine. For more information, go to www.jbftasteamerica.com.

Julia Jordan: Professor of hospitality management at New York City College of Technology/CUNY and founder of Spoons Across America, a resource for children’s culinary education Karen Karp: Founder of Karp Resources, a restaurant and food-related consulting group that has implemented large-scale projects for the New York City Department of Education

Lisa Sasson: Associate professor of clinical nutrition at New York University and nutritional consultant for Nickelodeon

Michael Sloan is an illustrator and

musician whose graphic novel, The Heresy of Professor

Nimbus, was recently awarded a silver medal by the Society

of Illustrators.

Alexandra Weisman, who wrote the content for this workbook, is the assistant to the dean of

children’s programs at the Bank Street School in New York. She has been a private chef and is

an education specialist for Spoons Across America.

As

co-hosts of

Spatulatta.com, a

website for kids who

love to cook, Isabella

and Olivia Gerasole be-

came the youngest winners

of a James Beard Foundation

Award in �006 at the ages of

�0 and 8, respectively. Their

new book, The Spatulatta

Cookbook, is being published

by Scholastic this month, and

they’re working on a new

television series for PBS.

ContributorsContributors

Fruit Kabob

JBF Publications teamart Direction: Scott Meolaeditorial: Mitchell Davis, Anya Hoffman, Alison Tozzi Liu, and Cia Glover

advisory Board

and™™

FoundationFoundation

Thank YouGrandma

Thank YouG

randma

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