Fruit Juicy fruit salad 5-7 years Mini Chefs lesson plan Aims of the session To make a fruit salad, safely and hygienically. To introduce children to fruit, where they come from and the 5 A Day message. Introduction The focus of this lesson is teaching children to make fruit salad and encourage them to eat more fruit every day, as part of their 5 A Day. We are all encouraged to eat 5 A Day, do the children? Fruit and vegetables should make up around a third of our diet and we should all eat a variety eat a rainbow. Fruit and vegetables provide a range of vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre. Show children the eatwell plate and explain that the Fruit and vegetables food group is one of the largest groups. The fruit salad recipe chosen for this activity demonstrates the variety of types and forms of fruit that we eat, e.g. fresh, dried and juiced. Talk about fruit which might be grown locally or at school. Discuss how different fruit grows, some on trees (apples and pears), some on bushes (blackberries and raspberries) and some `on vines (grapes and melons). Children have the opportunity to develop a range of food preparation skills, such as cutting, grating, slicing, scooping and segmenting. Soft fruits have been chosen so that children can handle them easily and safely. The fruit salad can be given a theme such as winter or summer fruit. To enable children to name and use a range of basic cooking equipment (e.g. knife, chopping board, scissors and grater) to make a fruit salad. To showcase a range of transferable food skills. To develop tasting and evaluating skills, extending their vocabulary. Children will recall and carry out the personal hygiene drill, with support make fruit salad and demonstrate the necessary food preparation skills safely and hygienically (e.g. peel, juice, cut, scoop) evaluate the appearance and taste of the fruit salad, suggesting different fruit that could be used in the future be encouraged to build their skills and confidence by making the dish again at home as part of a family meal Skills Measuring, grating, snipping with scissors, peeling, segmenting, scooping, cutting, de-stalking and mixing. 1
Outline of activity 1. Introduce the activity to the children. 2. Show a display of different fresh fruit or images of fruit (include fresh, dried and juiced). See how many children can name each fruit, who has tried them before and which are the most popular. 3. Show children how to make the fruit salad, demonstrating the key preparation skills. 4. Make the recipe in groups of four children. 5. Eat the fruit salad with the children and ask for their opinion. What you will need Ingredients For 1 group (4 children) For 2 groups (8 children) For 3 groups (12 children) For 4 groups (16 children) Orange juice 100ml 200ml 300ml 400ml Eating apple 1 2 3 4 Dried apricots 4 8 12 16 Clementines or satsumas 2 4 6 8 Banana 1 2 3 4 Kiwi fruit 1 2 3 4 Grapes (seedless) 100g 200g 300g 400g Equipment For 1 group (4 children) For 2 groups (8 children) For 3 groups (12 children) For 4 groups (16 children) Box grater 1 2 3 4 Chopping board 1 2 3 4 Small kitchen scissors 1 2 3 4 Metal spoon 1 2 3 4 Serving bowl 1 2 3 4 Small vegetable knife 1 2 3 4 Teaspoon 1 2 3 4 Measuring jug 1 2 3 4 Cling film If tasting, you ll also need a chopping board, knife, plate and cocktail sticks. A serving spoon, teaspoons and small dishes for each group involved in tasting. 2
How to run the session Before the children arrive If you want, you can be flexible with the ingredients and use fruits that are in season and that give the children an opportunity to practice a different range of preparation skills. Ripe fruits are softer (and tastier), so easier for younger children to prepare and develop their early knife skills. Check for any allergies/intolerance. Prepare the room and tables, as well as having aprons ready. Display the recipe on the whiteboard and/or provide copies of the recipe on the table for children to follow. Set out the equipment needed for each group. Set out the ingredients needed for each group. Some preparation is required beforehand: - wash the grapes and apples, snip off a bunch of grapes - around 100g - open the orange juice (if it s in a large carton it may be too big to handle so you may want to transfer the juice into a smaller jug) Think about where the children will collect and dispose of the waste, e.g. peelings (you can provide a container for this to go in ready for composting). Introduction Explain to the children that they will be making a fruit salad. Get ready to cook Ensure that all the children are ready to cook. Children should follow the personal hygiene drill: tie up long hair remove jewellery roll up long sleeves wear an apron wash their hands Curriculum links England - D&T: Cooking and nutrition, Science, PSHE Northern Ireland - The world around us Recipe on the whiteboard/ copies of recipes for the children to read through Aprons, sink, soap and hand towels Scotland - Health and wellbeing, Technologies Wales - D&T: Food, Science, PSE 3
Inspire the children Have a display of fruit to talk about. You could plan to undertake a tasting session of the fruit. Ask the children to group the fruit in different ways, such as fruit that: grows on bushes or on trees we peel or those that we eat with peel on have a large seed compared to those that have a small seed are grown nearby (this country) or far away Remind children that they should be eating more fruit and vegetables (at least 5 A Day). Do they? A portion is about the size of the palm of their hand. We all need to eat a variety - a rainbow of different fruit and vegetables. Can they recall the colours in a rainbow? Can they name a fruit to match the colour? Images Demonstration ingredients and equipment Explain that fruit provides vitamins, minerals and fibre that help us to stay healthy. Talk about when they might eat fruit (e.g. meal occasions, time of day) and what it can be added to or made into. Demonstration Demonstrate the recipe, focusing on: how to grate an apple, discarding the core and stalk, repositioning the fingers so that they are not grated peeling and segmenting satsumas the use of kitchen scissors to snip the apricots why the orange juice is poured into the bowl first and all fruit is added to stop the fruit turning brown (you may want to leave a piece of apple out to show them the difference) using the knife safely when cutting the banana and kiwi fruit - use the bridge hold to keep fingers safe (children must concentrate when handling the knife and not be distracted you may wish to cut the kiwi fruit in half) making bite size pieces that look good, mix evenly and fit on a spoon when you eat You may wish to ask for volunteers as you demonstrate, further engaging children in the cooking activity. 4
Get cooking! Divide the children into groups of four. Divide out the tasks in the groups, so that all children are involved in the cutting and mixing of the finished fruit salad. Observe the children working - intervene if you see them struggling or not using equipment safely. Remind them of safe cutting and handling of equipment. Remind them to handle the fruit gently, then cut evenly and carefully in to bite size pieces. Remind them to use the orange juice to prevent the apple browning. How to finish this activity Bowls & spoons Bring all the children together. Ask: - Did they enjoy the cooking activity? - What did they learn? (For example, naming new fruit, using equipment, practising food skills, tasting fruit.) Eat a bowl of the fruit salad with the children. Challenge them to describe the colour, smell, taste and texture. Ask children if they would make it again at home for their family? - If so, what fruit would they add? -W hy? When would they eat fruit salad? Suggest that they try it with something healthy like natural yoghurt. - Could they be creative and make a themed fruit salad, such as summer fruit or red fruit? Show them the apple piece that was left out of the juice, and show them how the flesh goes from white to brown when it is left in the air. Explain that this does not look very nice and might put people off eating the dish. Copies of the recipe for the children to take home Fruit salad is best served chilled and stored in the fridge until eaten, covered with cling film. Fruit salad can also be made with canned or frozen fruit, which is cheaper. Provide the children with a copy of the recipe to take home encourage them to make this with their parents/carers. Useful links For basic food skills in primary schools, including videos demonstrating cutting, peeling and grating and support around where food comes from, visit www.foodafactoflife.org.uk 5