HuckleBerry
Center for Creative Learning
Healthy Cooking!
Ages 6-9, 9-11 and 11-14
Teacher: Cynthia Kimura
Homework: Optional!
Prerequisites: Willing to try new tastes!
Class Objective:
Learn that healthy eating is fun and tasty! The choices we make on what we eat affect how we feel every day! We’ll be looking at what the body needs to perform at its best, how much water and sleep and protein and vegetables we need, and how we can keep our bodies working at their very best!
Class Description:
We’ll start with looking at what the body needs to be healthy, and sorting food into different food groups. Is corn a vegetable, a fruit or a carb? How about a tomato? If you don’t want to eat meat, how do you get enough protein? And what is enough protein by the way? Are all carbs bad? How about the oils that are in processed foods - what should we avoid and why? As we learn more about healthy eating, we’ll also be learning how to read nutrition labels, measure different foods as well as learning which kitchen utensils are best for each job with our food! We’ll learn basic knife safety skills before we start chopping up anything as well as the concept of Mise Un Place - keeping a neat, organized and clean cooking station!
Once we learn a few basics, we’ll be ready to cook simple but healthy meals! We’ll be running a plant-based milk taste test to see which is our favorite! (Oat, Almond, Soy or Coconut) and then making healthy shakes with our favorite one! We’ll analyze the nutritional value of a fast food meal (fat, carbs, sugars), and then make a healthy substitute. Learn about sushi making from the granddaughter of Yoshi Kimura (Sushi-Ya Grandma). She was making sushi before it became a trend using authentic Japanese ingredients. We'll be making a fusion roll with traditional and modern ingredients and also learn to make a sushi drizzle. We’ll incorporate placement for presentation of your finished product. When we look at our health, we know we need protein, but what’s a plant based protein? Let’s try cooking with Quinoa, Tofu, and Seitan to see which is our favorite! We’ll make flax eggs and tofu scramblers, fruit and vegetable salads, our own spring rolls, vegetable sushi, healthy shakes, protein pancakes and more! What’s nooch? Nutritional yeast can be a fabulous substitute for those with dairy allergies! We’ll try this out, and also make cheese from cashews! Kids will have fun sprouting lentils in class and watching them grow at home, and then using lentils in a variety of healthy recipes. From new breakfasts and desserts to charcuterie trays, your child will come away with a whole new palate of favorite foods!