Carrots are FUN and delicious thanks to the Healthy Childhood Project

March 29, 2022

Getting kids to try new foods, especially vegetables, can be a challenge. But, thankfully, the Food Bank of Delaware’s nutrition team is making fruits and vegetables fun thanks to the Healthy Childhood Project!

This curriculum is made up of 13 modules and is based upon Harvest for Healthy Kids, a nutrition program designed to promote healthy eating habits among preschoolers and children in early education centers through repeated exposure to a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Each lesson features a target fruit or vegetable that is featured in meals and snacks as well as classroom activities. Each lesson includes a read-aloud book in addition to a crafting activity that can be used to transition from one lesson to the next.

Last week, Alisha Beckford, one of our Community Nutrition Educators, visited the preschoolers at Ministry of Caring’s Guardian Angel Child Care in Wilmington. It was the second of 13 lessons, and the kids were excited when she walked in the door! Carrots were the day’s focus!

To start the lesson, the children gathered on the storytime carpet to read about the adventures of a carrot-planting rabbit in the the story, Carrot Soup. The kids were excited to learn that carrots grow in the ground. As Alisha read the book, she also threw in some facts about carrots. “Did you know that carrots make your eyes healthy?,” she asked.

“I like carrots,” said one student. “I don’t like carrots,” said another.

“We are all going to get to taste carrots today,” Alisha told them. “Did you know that carrots come in a variety of colors?,” she asked.

At the end of the story, the kids went back to their tables to start on the day’s craft.

“We are going to make a carrot garden out of construction paper. Each of you will get a paper plate, a piece of brown paper for the dirt and blue paper for the sky. I will come around and help you glue and then we’ll get started on our carrots,” Alisha instructed.

She helped glue the dirt and sky in place, and then the children started coloring their carrots! Alisha brought bags of white, orange and purple carrots, so the students received a crayon in those colors to show off the variety of carrot colors.

The students were so proud of their creations, and were excited to finally taste the vegetable of the day. Alisha passed around cups full of ranch dressing and colorful carrots!

After the sampling, Alisha cleaned up and told the class she’d be back in a few weeks with a new activity!

To learn more about Nutrition Education at the Food Bank of Delaware, please click here.