Teach Students Cook with Students Classroom cooking is an educational activity that keeps students engaged. It is a great way to use what students grow in the school garden, giving them the opportunity to enjoy fresh, seasonal produce while practicing math, reading, and life skills.

3 things to do before you conduct a food lesson with your class

1. Encourage parents of children with allergies (bee stings, penicillin, food allergies…) to have their Health Care Providers complete Allergy Emergency Care Plans.  Copies of the completed allergy plans should be in each student’s record folder. Teachers should keep track of students who have food or dietary concerns and make food substitutions in recipes.
   
   Emergency Allergy Care Plans: English, Chinese, Spanish (pdfs)
   
   
2. Teach a lesson on the importance of hand washing. Lessons are available in the District adopted health curriculum.  Post a hand washing poster by the classroom or bathroom sink.  If no water is available in your classroom, purchase a bottle of hand sanitizer.
   
   Hand washing poster: English/Spanish/Chinese (pdf) 
   Hand washing resources and activities (pdf) 
   
   
3. Teach students about kitchen safety and demonstrate proper knife use.  It is recommended that students in primary grades use a sturdy plastic knife, older students can use a round tipped serrated “steak” knife.
   
   Knife Safety with Students (pdf) 
   Kitchen Safety (pdf) 

Create a classroom cooking center  

Here is a list of basic items for preparing food in the classroom. Ask for donations from parents. If you have the resources for a more permanent set up, stocking a mobile cooking cart is a wonderful addition to any school.  For assistance in funding, contact your local parent-teacher organization for ideas.  The following list includes basic items for preparing food in the classroom. It includes items for the class and items for small working groups.

Suggested List of Cooking Cart Equipment:

Quantity	Item	Quantity	Item
Multiple	Assorted sizes of pots with lids	1	ladle
2	baking sheets	5 sets	measuring cups
1	blender	5 sets	measuring spoons
2	baking pans or dishes	4	potholders
1	can opener	2	rolling pins
1	cart, rolling utility	1	salad spinner
5	citrus juicers, small	2	skillets, large (12"-14") non-stick
1	colander	2	spoons, large wooden
10	cutting boards, small plastic	1	spoon, slotted
1 bottle	dishwashing liquid	2	spatulas
3	bowls, mixing, assorted sizes	5	sponges with rough side
1	electric skillet (optional)	10	spreaders (serrated with rounded end) or sturdy plastic knives or round-tipped serrated “steak” knives
1	first aid kit	1	steamer insert for pot
5	graters, box	1 set	tongs
1	hand mixer	5	vegetable peelers
2	hotplates, electric	3	whisks, assorted sizes
4	kitchen towels or paper towels	5	whisks, medium
1	knife, chef's

Select healthy recipes

Select healthy recipes which:

• highlight colorful fruits and vegetables
• are calcium-rich
• include Whole grains
• limit saturated fats and cholesterol and do not include trans fats

Link recipes to the Harvest of the Month:

Educator and Family Newsletters 
Additional Harvest of the Month Recipes and resources

Choose a healthy recipe from a recommended website:

• KidsHealth.org -  Easy recipes for children and teens, some recipes for those with special nutritional needs
• Recipe Links at CDPH - Links to multi-cultural cookbooks and recipe ideas found on the California Department of Public Health website
• Recipe Finder  - Database of recipes in Spanish and English, part of SNAP-Ed Connection, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA).  Database is searchable by various criteria, including calcium-rich, whole grains, price per serving, non cooking…
• WIC Cooking With Children - Simple recipes for younger children

Provide a list of cooking vocabulary terms:

Basic Cooking Terms (pdf)