Tell Your Parents We Told You to Play with Your Food
A couple of weeks ago, we had the chance to engage with some students from Payne Elementary during a STEM field trip organized by The Washington Capitals.
We’ve participated in this educational day in the past, and delivering a 15-minute nutrition talk that is engaging and accessible to 3rd to 5th graders is always a fun challenge. In six groups of about 15 students, they rotated every 15 minutes.
Because this was a STEM exercise, we focused on teaching the students to understand their palates and how they taste food. Still, we kept the conversation light and entertaining. The students asked insightful questions, making each session unique.
So, how do you tackle that subject without getting too far in the weeds? Keep it challenging enough so they stay interested without it going over their heads? We approached it so that the kids could have multiple hooks or different ways to pick up the information in such a short time.
Laughter is the stickiest substance known to a 9-year-old. Speaking from a place of expertise and trying to relate to them with humor is usually a win. (It also tends to work on adults, but the jokes are different.) Being willing to laugh and not take ourselves too seriously is critical; any laughter from the students is a bonus.
So, we talked about olfactory senses and taste buds, had fun saying “umami,” and laughed about the hair in our nasal passages as we told them to play with their food. They asked questions, gave thoughtful responses, and giggled as we encouraged them to try it anyway, even if they did not like something. We had several students who liked tomatoes for the first time, but others who still didn’t like onions. We discussed the impact of rainy days on our food choices and the difference between eating at home in a familiar setting versus out in the wild at restaurants.
We had a couple of revelatory moments when the kids understood that their taste in food is dynamic and will evolve for the rest of their lives! They grasped that one negative food experience doesn’t mean we don’t like something—maybe it was the preparation? Students walked away with more open minds regarding their diets and a curiosity to keep tasting. One thing they did all learn: At SuperFd, we take our ingredients seriously, so that we can have fun with our food.
