On Wednesday, November 13, Healthy Kids educator Nina Abramson joined the SAP culinary team in Palo Alto for a Healthy Kids class that focused on healthy grains!
25 kids from the SAP community and Healthy Kids educator Nina began by discussing the health benefits of different kinds of grains, coming to the conclusion that whole grains dubbed “great grains” are the healthier choice over refined grains -“okay grains”. Everyone learned that whole grains give us more energy and have more vitamins and nutrients to keep us healthy. Additionally when given the option, choose brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta over refined-grain products!
Next, the group taste-tested seasonal ingredients with Chef Mikhail and Chef Janet like baby butternut squash and two varieties of persimmon. Kids described the persimmon as squishy, sweet, juicy, and yummy, “it tastes like sugar” exclaimed one of the kids. Then Chef Mikhail shared his tips on the best way to eat a persimmon by telling us, “the softer the better”.
Later the group made a recipe highlighting our great grains – veggie sushi hand rolls with brown rice. Kids sliced vegetables into strips and wrapped their veggies in seaweed and rice to make their very own sushi hand roll. Chef Robert led everyone through a knife safety demo, then showed kids how to wrap their sushi using warm water to seal it into a tight roll. To finish, the group enjoyed their sushi with pickled ginger and cilantro for garnish. A lot of the kids seemed to really enjoy the ginger, describing it as spicy with a kick!
Next Chef Janet led the group through a fruit-focused recipe: fruit smoothie bowls. After using a blender to mix up blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and honey to prepare our smoothie base, kids decorated the top with a rainbow of sliced fruits and exciting toppings. Kids were encouraged to be creative while decorating their bowls, sprinkling coconut flakes and trying cocoa nibs for the first time: we learned that although cocoa nibs smell a lot like chocolate, their taste is bitter and tart.
While everyone ate, kids asked Chefs to share their favorite dishes with the group. Kids learned that Chef Mikhail grew up in Ukraine and loves beef stroganoff because it reminds him of his home town. Chef Robert’s favorite food is paella, he loves the mix of seafood and vegetables that come together in a warm broth. Additionally, the group discovered that the SAP culinary team goes through roughly 80 pounds of onions every two days, whoa!