Cameron comes to the classroom

This week we had a special guest speaker. His name is Cameron Dempster and he came and talked about plants and how important they are for our bodies. The second grade classroom went outside to the raised beds and added compost to them. Then they planted radishes, peas, lettuce, and spinach.

Gardening For Fun

The students in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have been learning about plant parts, how they are alot like our bodies, and how eating plants helps them grow strong and healthy.

We sampled different foods from the part of the plant called stems. The stems are alot like our skeletal system, they hold up the plant like the skeleton holds up our body. The stems also transport nutrients up and down the plant, just like our circulatory system does.

Next, we learned about leaves on plants and photosynthesis. Plants can make some of their own food, but our bodies can’t. We need to eat food for the nutrients we need to grow and be healthy. We made a wonderful recipe using different leaves. Try it at home.

Cabbage salad roll ups

½ cup red cabbage, chopped

½ cup green cabbage, chopped

½ cup carrots, grated

¼ cup raisins

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Chard leaves

Mix all ingredients except chard in a bowl.  Add dressing and mix. Take 1 spoonful of the salad and put it on the chard leaf. Roll leaf and eat.

Dressing

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Pour over salad.

Tips For Bottom Feeders

We have been learning about choosing foods from the bottom of the pyramid. Here are some hints on what to choose from each food group.

• Choose whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and whole grain crackers.
• Choose a rainbow of of fruits and veggies that are fresh, frozen or canned in water or juice.
• Make sure to get 2 cups of fat-free or 1% milk every day.
• Select lean protein foods like beans, peas, and legumes at least 3 times every week.

Recipe: Fishing with Marty Moose

Bait: 2 Tbsp. peanut butter on other nut spread

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip: 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup peanut butter. Mix Well.

Poles:Vegetable sticks (celery, carrots, green pepper, cucumber, etc.) and/or apple slices.

Fish: Fish-shaped carackers, pretzels, or different-shapes cereals.

Directions: Dip a pole into the bait and dip the baited end of the pole into the fish. Enjoy your catch!

Food Safety Tip: No double dipping.

Whole Grains Fun!

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classes learned about the importance of whole grains. We all made a list of what grain foods we eat and which ones can be whole grains. Did you know that wheat bread can be either “whole grain” or “enriched wheat” bread? The word to look for on the list of ingredients is “whole”. Check to see what kind of bread is in your cupboard today!

Trail Mix:
1 cup whole grain, ready-to -eat cereral (whole wheat Chex, popcorn, oat rings)
1 cup other ready to eat grains (cereals, mini-pretzels)
1 cup dried cranberries or other dried fruit
Optional: 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or nuts

Directions:
Measure all in ingredients into large bowl. (Remember we are using 1/2 whole grain and 1/2 non whole grain cereals).
Measure and add dried fruit, seeds/nuts; add to bowl.
Mix all ingredients in bowl with a spoon.
Enjoy!

What’s Hootin’ Owls?

Welcome back to school and thank you for checking out the brand new blog page for Mary M. Knight Elementary nutrition classes. This is the place to go for students and parents to find the recipe made in class, what activities we did, participate in on line polls, and much, much, more!

Wash, wash, wash your hands.

This week we learned about how to wash our hands. This is the best way to keep from spreading germs to our family and friends and to keep from getting sick. When we are sick we sometimes miss out on fun activities and we don’t want to do that. Ask your child to demonstrate how they washed their hands in class and to tell you about “Glo-germs”.

“Happy Birthday to you….”

Find Out About My Pyramid.

The USDA has created a nice website for parents and kids to use to learn more about the foods they eat, how much activity they should have each day, and lots more. Click on the picture at left to go to their website.

Welcome to our site!

Have fun and look around this new blog site. On the right you will find categories. You can click on your teacher to find out what’s happening in that classroom. Find recipes in the same spot! Visit my pyramid information here.