One of the best ways to escape the chilly Fall weather is to spend the day inside making tasty food that incorporates fresh, seasonal ingredients. Seasonal produce is rich in flavor and nutrients that support young children in their health and development.
Children love to participate in cooking by measuring ingredients, mixing items together, and most of all…taste-testing! When children help prepare meals they enjoy a sensory experience of different tastes, smells, and textures while building a strong foundation for nutrition and healthy eating habits.
According to Kids Health, a resource published by pediatric hospital Nemours Health, when children help to prepare meals, it can encourage them to try new foods: “Preschoolers love to show what they can do, and working in the kitchen provides opportunities to gain a sense of accomplishment. If they helped assemble the pizza, let them know that their help was important. Even if the results are not exactly what you expected, praise their efforts.”
When we use fresh, healthy ingredients while cooking with children, we can talk with them about how each fruit and vegetable has different vitamins and nutrients that help our bodies to grow big, strong, and healthy.
A variety of fruits and vegetables, from persimmons to cauliflower, are in season during the month of November.
Many of these fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed throughout the year, but they are especially fresh, tasty, and nutritious during their peak season. Here are a few that you might enjoy sharing with the children in your care during November:
Apples
Pears
Persimmons
Pineapple guava
Pomegranates
Greens (arugula, collards, dandelion, kale, chard)
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Snap peas
Winter squash
Not only are seasonal fruits and vegetables nutritious and tasty, they also offer learning opportunities for little ones. Colors, shapes, scents, size, and weight can all be noticed and compared. Pictures of fruit trees and vegetable gardens can spark conversations about where fruits and vegetables grow.
Recipes that incorporate fruits and vegetables are a great way to make seasonal produce part of your curriculum.
Each of the recipes below can be prepared with large or small groups of children. . Older preschoolers will be able to help with cutting, preparing, and measuring ingredients, while toddlers can help with jobs like scooping and mixing.
Healthy Tip! Always ensure that children thoroughly wash their hands before preparing food. Remind them that hand-washing helps us to keep our bodies healthy and free from germs.
image & recipe from
The Imagination Tree
These simple, healthy muffins are a fun way to eat pears, which are in season during the month of November. And, they are made with only a few simple ingredients: diced pears, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, olive oil, and an egg.
Children can participate by mixing together, in separate bowls, the wet and dry ingredients. Then all of the ingredients can be combined to form the batter that is poured into lined muffin tins. The muffins can be eaten with breakfast, or as a quick snack that is rich in the pear’s fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C. The cinnamon adds Fall flavor to this tasty, seasonal snack.
image & recipe from
The Gracious Pantry
Smoothies are a great way to introduce cooking into your classroom. It’s easy to have children add ingredients to the blender before mixing it all up to serve a healthy and tasty treat. Smoothies also require no cook time, which can be helpful if you have a group of hungry children who are eager to enjoy their snacks!
This particular recipe is especially good for classrooms that are cautious about allergies, since it doesn’t include any dairy, gluten, eggs, or tree nuts. All you will need are ripe persimmons (peeled and destemmed), coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Toss everything into the blender, mix it all together, and enjoy!
Healthy Tip! Persimmons are full of antioxidants and nutrients, including vitamins A and C. You can add even more nutrients to the smoothie by incorporating veggies. You might consider adding additional greens like kale or chard – both of which are in season in November.
image and recipe from
Baby Foodie
This recipe is a healthier take on the classic donut, using fresh, seasonal apples that are rich in fiber and Vitamin C. The donuts can be topped with a number of different toppings, which means you can use whatever you have available.
Start by removing the cores of the apples, and then cut across the apples to make circles. Encourage children to decorate their apple donuts by first frosting them, and then adding toppings. For the frosting, offer items such as yogurt, peanut butter (or sun butter if there are allergies in your program), and squeezable snack pouches. For the toppings, you might put out chopped-up fruit, raisins, marshmallows, sprinkles, or anything else that you have available. Preparing the donuts can be an interactive, festive party activity, so you might invite parents and families to join too!
image and recipe from
Hands On As We Grow
Eggplants are not always the most popular vegetable for preschoolers, but they are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. By transforming eggplants into crispy, crunchy chips, this recipe offers a fun way to introduce eggplants to the children in your care.
All you will need for this recipe are eggplants, almond flour, eggs, parmesan, and salt. Start by slicing the eggplants into circles. Then mix the flour and cheese in a small bowl to make breading for the eggplants, and in a separate bowl, beat the eggs together. Dip each eggplant slice into the eggs first, and then into the flour mixture, before placing them on a lined cookie sheet to bake. Young children will enjoy dipping the eggplant slices into each mixture. Although it can get messy, this recipe offers a great sensory experience for little ones to enjoy while they make their treat.
image and recipe from
Thriving Home Blog
These bites incorporate seasonal broccoli into a flavorful snack or meal item that will encourage children to eat more veggies. And, the recipe has the added benefit of being quick-and-easy to prepare. Broccoli is especially beneficial for growing bodies, as it’s full of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium.
For this recipe, you’ll need finely chopped broccoli, cheese, eggs, flour, butter, and milk. Mix everything together and then spoon the ingredients into a mini muffin tin. Let them bake until cooked through.
Older children can help chop the broccoli and measure the ingredients, while younger children can help mix everything together in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. Toddlers can contribute by sprinkling extra cheese on top of each muffin before baking.
Healthy Tip! These muffins can also be made with cauliflower (another seasonal November veggie), which is a good source of fiber and B vitamins.
