Season 2, Episode 8:
WHERE FOOD COMES FROM

Conner: (00:01)
Welcome to Kiddos In The kitchen, a podcast hosted by my mom.

Meagan Fishell: (00:17)
How do we get kids over that hurdle where they're willing to try things, but the closer you get to them, seeing, experiencing, and touching those things, they're willing to try them?

Stephanie Conner: (00:30)
That's Meagan Fishell, founder of The Healthy Kid Project, which she started three years ago to help introduce the concept of a plant-rich diet to kids. She sees a direct connection between understanding where your food comes from and healthier choices. And I see a connection between all of that and cooking with our kids.

Stephanie Conner: (00:53)
Welcome to Kiddos In The Kitchen, a podcast about helping busy adults find the inspiration and information they need to teach the kids in their lives how to cook. I'm your host, Stephanie Conner, and today we're going to talk about helping kids understand where their food comes from and how that translates in the kitchen and at the dinner table.

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Stephanie Conner: (01:50)
The Healthy Kid Project is focused on two aims; reducing our carbon footprint and reducing the rate of childhood obesity. Two goals that Meagan believes can be accomplished through a plant-rich diet. Now let's stop there because plant rich doesn't necessarily mean vegan or vegetarian. I'll let Meagan explain.

Meagan Fishell: (02:14)
I started working and educating myself on the benefits of a plant-based or plant-rich diet. I, myself, am not vegetarian. I do eat meat, but 75% of what I eat comes from plants. I try to source my ingredients as closely as I can to their source. I don't tell anyone a certain way that they have to eat, and that wasn't my goal for the project certainly; but in the process, if you do become vegetarian or if you do become vegan, it's one of the most impactful things you can do in reducing your carbon footprint.

Stephanie Conner: (02:56)
Students who participate in The Healthy Kid Project learn about nutrition and fruits and veggies, as well as about the importance of water and physical activity. I asked Meagan to share some sample lessons.

Meagan Fishell: (03:09)
The first lesson plan, lesson one, Fresh Is Fun. That's where we focus on learning the different parts of the plant. You have the flower, the leaf, the stem, the roots, and the fruit. In different times we eat these in different ways. So we start with the fundamental different parts and helping the students understand where these items come from. Where did my French fries come from? Well, that was a potato in the ground, and then a farmer tilled it up. But along the way, there was some processing that occurred.

Meagan Fishell: (03:47)
One of the big moments of revelation for me in this was realizing just how many resources are being used in each of the chains of the production line. We have trucks moving potatoes, and then those potatoes are being sorted, and then they're being moved. They're going to a place that's going to fry and prepare them and freeze them, and then they're going to the distribution points.

Meagan Fishell: (04:15)
I gained a great awareness in my carbon footprint and realizing how far something like Italian pasta, which I love Italian pasta, but how much onus having that come to me versus something that's local. That was a big moment of revelation for me and just how much of an impact I can have on just my decisions on what I'm purchasing based on where the products are coming from.

Stephanie Conner: (04:41)
You mentioned lesson one, Fresh Is Fun. Could you walk me through where it goes from there? How do these lessons build on the one that came before it?

Meagan Fishell: (04:50)
Yes. Good question. In lesson two, Food That's Good for You, we discuss the difference between processed and unprocessed foods. Typically, when you process food, processing typically pulls out the nutrition. The benefit of eating whole foods and whole fruits is you're getting all of the nutrition. The trick for us as adults is how can we make these things that are nutritious, taste delicious to our kids and appeal to their palates?

Stephanie Conner: (05:26)
If you listen to this podcast, you know we talk a lot about picky eaters and getting kids to eat more vegetables and other nutritious foods. How can we prepare healthy foods in a tasty way? Do we need dips or some spice? Maybe try some herbs, cut them up in fun and fancy ways. Parents will try just about anything to get kids on board with vegetables.

Stephanie Conner: (05:49)
One success Meagan has seen is within groups. She describes a pre-COVID community event.

Meagan Fishell: (05:57)
It was a bit of a setup with the kids because we would have them come in, they'd wash their hands and we would ask them some questions. We'd ask, "If you had the opportunity to try something new, would you do it? Do you like fruits and vegetables? What do you want to try today?" We tried to build up the expectation that we're going to try something new. And by the end of it, every kid was willing to try it.

Meagan Fishell: (06:27)
Some of them didn't like it, and there was some students that really didn't like it, but the kids were willing to try it. If you have a community large enough, set up some sort of food tasting and have an event. Right now with COVID-19, we really can't be in groups, but once this has passed, I think bringing kids together and making something fun and adventurous where they're all trying different things, trying the same thing together and having a new experience, I think it might be something to consider.

Stephanie Conner: (07:04)
Part of understanding where food comes from is understanding farming and ranching practices. But it's also about recognizing cultural origins and impacts too.

Meagan Fishell: (07:15)
Every culture perceives food in a different way, but we all have common ties. That was one of the things that was explored in our lesson three, Beans, Rice, and the Beginnings of Life. May, my instructor, brings in the parallels of what rice is in every culture across the planet. Every culture uses rice in some capacity in their foods. It's a way that kids can see that, oh, this is a food that everyone eats. How do you eat it? Learning about different ways that you can cook and try foods, which is something that I know is a passion for the work that you do.

Stephanie Conner: (07:57)
One of the things that you incorporate into this curriculum is growing your own food. And I'm hoping you can talk a little bit about why that's an important part of this education that you're doing.

Meagan Fishell: (08:10)
Yes. This was a part of the project that I really enjoyed, and I know the students and the teachers enjoyed. It's essentially that project where, as a kid you'd get a wet paper towel, you'd put a bean, and in a couple of days, you'd start to see the roots sprout, and that would begin the phase and the life cycle of the bean.

Meagan Fishell: (08:34)
We really try to have the kids hone in on that. And then also use it as a learning lesson along the way about the different parts of the plant. We really wanted kids to be curious, and to be in a position where they would be willing to try new and different things. That was an eye-opening experience because they would bring kids from different areas of the city, different cultures, different lifestyle choices, and kids would be trying fruits and vegetables that had never tried them before.

Meagan Fishell: (09:09)
And they were doing it because they were in a fun environment with their friends, and they were out of their element. So how do we get kids over that hurdle, where they're willing to try things, but the closer you get to them seeing, experiencing, and touching those things, they're willing to try them? We have hosted olive oil and different food-tasting parties, giving the kids a chance to try this leaf or this strawberry with this vinaigrette or this olive oil, just giving them a chance to try different things. They might not like it, but at least they tried it. And at some point maybe they’ll be open again to it.

Stephanie Conner: (09:56)
What kinds of things can we teach when we bring kids outside and show them that life cycle?

Meagan Fishell: (10:02)
What I found is that the closer that you get to the source, the less resources it takes to make it. Gardening is wonderful, but local community gardens not only provide an opportunity for outdoor time, but it's something fun and engaging that you can focus on. Within community gardens, you can incorporate flowers that bring a lot of pollinators to the area. So you can add things that will bring butterflies, and it's fun to be outside. It's something that we can do in a socially distanced manner.

Stephanie Conner: (10:41)
And now it's time for kitchen questions where I ask my guests a few quick questions to understand her and her kitchen a little better.

Kids: (10:51)
It's time for kitchen questions. I have a question. What would happen if you put a little bit of the wrong ingredient inside a cookie? Why are cup cakes squishy? How often do you burn things on accident? Do you like cake? What is the difference between baking and roasting? What is your favorite recipe?

Stephanie Conner: (11:18)
What is something you always have on hand in your kitchen?

Meagan Fishell: (11:22)
Salt.

Stephanie Conner: (11:23)
What is your go-to weeknight meal?

Meagan Fishell: (11:26)
A salad.

Stephanie Conner: (11:27)
What do you make when you're trying to impress?

Meagan Fishell: (11:31)
When I'm trying to impress…I like to make chicken pot pie when I'm trying to impress.

Stephanie Conner: (11:37)
Oh, wow. What is your favorite dessert to make?

Meagan Fishell: (11:41)
I'm not a baker. Probably just some yogurt with some blueberries.

Stephanie Conner: (11:51)
So healthy.

Meagan Fishell: (11:52)
Oh, and I'll dip apples. Kids like to dip, I like to dip too. I'll cut apples into slivers and make them crisp. And I'll have that with yogurt and cinnamon, that's good too.

Stephanie Conner: (12:07)
What is your favorite way to prepare vegetables?

Meagan Fishell: (12:10)
Saute.

Stephanie Conner: (12:11)
Any particular seasoning that you like to throw in?

Meagan Fishell: (12:14)
I love garlic.

Stephanie Conner: (12:15)
Yeah, me too.

Meagan Fishell: (12:16)
Does that count as a seasoning?

Stephanie Conner: (12:17)
Yes. Yeah, absolutely. That's my favorite.

Stephanie Conner: (12:21)
My next guest is Clifton Lyles. He's the executive chef and vice president of product development for Revolution Foods, a school meal provider that focuses on healthy, whole, great-tasting foods. I asked him to give us a kitchen trick or tip, and this tip is a great one for busy weeknight meals that we can also teach our kiddos pretty easily.

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Stephanie Conner: (13:06)
Chef Cliff will be back next month to talk about food as a cultural experience with our kids. But today he's teaching us how he makes the perfect asparagus.

Chef Clifton Lyles: (13:19)
The one thing that I love having kind of all year round, but definitely in the spring when it's available, is asparagus. And asparagus can be somewhat challenging to cook sometimes because it's fragile, but it's got this great vibrant color, so you want to make it so that it's spot-on. You've got the right level of al dente and crispness to it. But at the same time, it's not too soft or it's not too hard.

Chef Clifton Lyles: (13:38)
And so I've got this great technique that I use in cooking asparagus. And what I do is I'll take a saute pan and I'll have a lid. Traditionally, when you're doing asparagus, you're generally going to blanch your asparagus just to break down the outside cell wall so it's tender, and then you saute it. You double up and you're getting dishes dirty and you're doing twice as much work.

Chef Clifton Lyles: (13:57)
So what I do with asparagus is I'll put the asparagus in a saute pan. I will add some minced garlic in there. I'll put olive oil on top of it. I'll season with salt and pepper. And then what I'll do is I'll take... depending on the volume is I'll take anywhere from a quarter cup to a couple tablespoons of water, and I'll pour it in there and I'll put the lid on, and I'll turn it on as high as I can.

Chef Clifton Lyles: (14:18)
And so what ends up happening is with that small amount of water, it steams asparagus and then as the water's gone, the oil's there, the garlic there, the salt and pepper is there where it sautes itself. And so in one step in about two minutes, three minutes, you've got perfect asparagus and you didn't have to do all the work to it.

Stephanie Conner: (14:38)
Thank you again to my guests today, Chef Clifton Lyles of Revolution Foods, and Meagan Fishell of The Healthy Kid Project. A link to their social media and websites is in the show notes at kiddosinthekitchen.com.

Stephanie Conner: (15:01)
Teaching kids to cook begins with teaching them where food comes from and helping them to appreciate food in its whole form. This is a great time of year to engage kids in planting a garden. Even a small pot of fresh herbs on a patio, or take the time to visit a local community garden. My son and I actually planted our spring garden recently, zucchini and squash, green beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, and serranos, and tons of herbs. Plus he so badly wants to grow his own pumpkin so we try every season.

Stephanie Conner: (15:40)
Our garden is a chance for him to see how plants grow, what seeds look like and feel like, the work required to grow a vegetable. As he said after we planted our tiny garden, "Mommy, farming is hard." We can extend this appreciation into the kitchen with simple food prep exercises. Now, do I buy pre-made salsa at the grocery store? Of course I do, I'm human, but there's also value in showing my son that we can cut up some tomatoes, onion and jalapenos, and add some lime juice and spices to make our own.

Stephanie Conner: (16:34)
And look, I buy frozen shredded hash browns every week, but there's also a benefit in showing my son that we can take a potato and shred it ourselves, and in making our own pasta or bread, or our own salad dressing. Even if these aren't things we do all the time, it's all an opportunity to show kids what food is and where it comes from. As my son says, "To cook, we need ingredients." And when we help kids understand where those ingredients really come from, the greater their appreciation for food and for cooking.

Stephanie Conner: (17:30)
Thanks for joining me for Kiddos In The Kitchen. I'm your host, Stephanie Conner, with a reminder from my son.

Conner: (17:38)
If you like my mom's podcast as much as I do, you can subscribe on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Stephanie Conner: (17:56)
That’s right, Conner. You can also view the show notes, subscribe to our newsletter and check out all of our other content at kiddosinthekitchen.com. We're Kiddos Cook on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And I'll be back next month with another fresh episode. Until then, I encourage you to get your kiddos in the kitchen.