Food & taste

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Group Nights

Activity Duration

A whole group night or longer

Objectives of the activity

To raise awareness of healthy/less healthy food
To discuss taste in foods, encourage children to try new foods

Materials required

Cook books (with big, nice pictures), cards (flashcard size) with pictures of various foods, food (depends on budget). Big room with some tables

Activity

1.Children in groups divide cards with food written on into 3 groups: healthy, unhealthy, eat in moderation (eg tomatoes, crisps, cheese)
2.Look at other group’s ordering
3.Pairs of children. Get a cooker book each. Find a picture of something that looks yummy, something that looks yukky. Show the rest of the group. Discuss tastes, textures, unfamiliar food. Encourage children to think about what you do when offered unfamiliar food: refusing politely or trying it.
4.Bring foods that children may not know/like. Encourage them to try & discuss (I brought Matzo, asparagus, blueberries, olives, dried pineapple, kiwi, mango, dates, figs)

Variations

I intended, but didn’t get time, to have them decorate rice cakes or oatcakes with cream cheese or homous and bits of cut-uo veg (eg cucumber, green read & yellow pepper, sweetcorn etc). They can do smiley faces or flowers. This is a variation on decorating biscuits with sugary icing.

Evaluation

It went well. The kids wolfed down the food!