In tasting classes, children use all of their senses to explore different varieties of fruits or vegetables that they may not have had the opportunity to eat at home. Whether it's crunchy sunflower sprouts, the surprise magenta inside a blood orange, or the wonder of realizing that raisins come from grapes, students discover for themselves that "real" foods do make delicious healthy snacks.

Exploring Fruits and Vegetables
Tasting classes are one hour long and require no cooking. Classroom teachers can easily teach these classes using lesson plans, letters from farmers, food history, and nutrition information provided in these free lessons.

Students read, draw, taste, and write about different varieties of fruits or vegetables, such as apples, grapes and raisins, pears, citrus fruits, peas, root vegetables, melons, and salad greens. They learn to articulate similarities and differences, employ descriptive language, expand vocabulary, and explore choice and personal preference. Take a look at a tasting class here.

Using Locally Grown Produce in the Classroom
Whenever possible, Cooking with Kids uses regionally grown produce in season, supporting local farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Cooking with Kids also collaborates with the Farm to School program, which works to purchase and serve local produce in the Santa Fe Public Schools.