May 15, 2020
Our FoodPrints Anywhere theme for the month of May is Plant Science. Last week, we explored seeds, germination, and cooking rice. This week, we focus on caring for plants, whole grains, muffins, and oatmeal.
Delicious Dozen – Your Guide to Baking Nutritious and Tasty Muffins
Muffins are a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert, and can be nutritious when they are homemade with whole grain flour and minimal sugar.
> Follow our muffin baking guide to customize or create your own muffin recipe using ingredients you have on hand.
> New to baking muffins? Check out our quick tricks and tips (for grown ups and kids) on how to make muffins that you will love.
OATS – A WHOLE GRAIN WE LOVE
Did you know that oats are a nutritious whole grain? Oats are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
> Use your creativity to make Overnight Oats– a simple, nutritious, and filling breakfast recipe!
Don’t want to wait the whole night for your delicious breakfast of oats? We understand!
> Here’s a recipe for Homemade Instant Oats – A quick, tasty, whole grain breakfast.
WHAT ARE WHOLE GRAINS, ANYWAYS?
> On food packages in your house, you may see the words “100% Whole Grain.” Have you ever wondered what this means? Well, this guide is here to help you learn all about Whole Grains, what they are, and how they help our bodies stay strong and healthy.
Activity for Kids in the Kitchen – Whole Grain Discoveries
Whole Grain Detective (Older Elementary): Be a detective in your own kitchen to see if food companies are telling you the whole truth about whole grains!
Caring for Plants at Home
Over the last few weeks of FoodPrints Anywhere, we have shown you different ways of planting seeds at home – in toilet paper rolls, newspaper pots, even plastic bags! If you have planted seeds, you may have a seedling by now. Today, we want to share our favorite ways to care for plants at-home.
Believe it or not, humans and plants aren’t that different! Just like we can take care of our bodies by choosing to eat whole grains when we can, we can care for our plants with these simple steps:
- Water: Keep soil damp by watering once a day when plants are little. Make sure the plant is not sitting in water, and that the container can drain. If it is still wet from the day before, skip watering that day.
- Soil: Plant your seedling in soil, making sure to cover all of the roots and none of the leaves. Use soil that has no rocks or other plants or bugs in it when the plant is little.
- Sun: As soon as your plant has leaves, it needs sunlight to make its food. Place your plant in a sunny window with some direct light. You might see your plant growing toward the window after a few days.You can turn it around so that it reaches the other way now!
- Air: Your baby plants need fresh air that is not too cold and not too hot. Make sure that your plant is not on top of a heater or an open window on a cool day.
- Love: Check on your plant every day! It will probably need water everyday, but you need to check to make sure. It might need to be moved to a different place, or need to be turned around. Or maybe it needs a bigger pot.
At-Home Garden Activity for Kids and Grown-Ups
Did you know you could grow nutrient-packed mini plants on your windowsill in a week? Almost any kind of seeds will work, though some grow faster (and have more vitamins and other nutrients) than others.
> Watch FoodPrints Teacher & Professional Therapist, Ms. Wolfish, talk about how to take a mindful “SNACK” break to help us deal with our emotions during these uncertain times.
FoodPrints Anywhere helps build nutrition knowledge, extend science and math education, and helps families cook and eat FoodPrints recipes together at home.