Plant-Based Cooking Course for Kids and Families (Module 1)

Learn to stay safe in the kitchen by using the STOP framework to recognize sharp knives, electrical appliances, and hot pots, and follow adult guidelines.

Set up your kitchen science space for kid-friendly food experiments by printing an experiment in progress sheet, gluing it to cardboard, and assembling instructions, observation sheets, and materials.

Explore why we eat: to obtain nutrients from plant-based foods that help our bodies grow and repair, through an apple-based experiment and the start of plant-based cooking.

Explore choosing and combining plant-based ingredients to craft a sweet and sour kale and apple salad, focusing on taste, texture, and ingredient types for culinary confidence.

Prepare your cooking area, wash and set out ingredients, read the recipes, and check the PDF for supplies and ingredients—pause or rewind to review steps as you cook.

Develop essential kitchen skills for the upcoming cooking demo by learning knife skills, zesting, juicing, and removing citrus pulp to prepare a zesty citrus apple salad.

Master essential knife safety through the sharp acronym: sharp, hands, right grip, position, and pressure; remember dull knives are dangerous.

Learn how to choose the right kitchen knife for kids by checking grip, handle comfort, blade safety, and knife size for safe, confident cutting.

This module demonstrates two basic knives—a sharp edged knife and a serrated knife—and shows how to use them for fruits, vegetables, citrus, tomatoes, and crusty bread.

Master safe knife handling with comfortable grips, clamp and claw cuts, a lever cut, and focused attention on the blade to cut apples smoothly.

The lesson demonstrates safe serrated knife techniques for cutting apples, using clamp and claw grips to stabilize fruit, create flat surfaces, and cut bite-sized pieces with a back-and-forth motion.

Demonstrate proper grip and serrated knife technique to cut a zested orange in half, then juice using your preferred juicer or squeeze method, capturing seeds and pulp as needed.

Learn how to remove citrus pulp from fruits like orange or grapefruit by peeling away the skin and separating the pulp, reducing bitterness for salads.

Wash and dry fruit, zest and juice citrus, then combine apples with citrus juices, olive oil, salt, pepper, cranberries, and sunflower seeds for a zesty citrus apple salad.

Use imagination to turn simple plant-based foods like oranges, apples, dried fruit, and nuts into complete meals; follow taste, texture, and ingredient types, and practice swapping ingredients at home.

Learn about essential kitchen safety through the S.T.O.P. guidelines, emphasizing sharp knives, electrical appliances, and oven pots, with adult permission.

Set up a clean kitchen workspace, display the experiment in progress sheet near your station, and gather instructions, observation sheet, and materials to start the experiment.

Explore whole plant based foods by preparing lettuce cups with mango corn salsa, emphasizing fresh, original-form ingredients and how nutrients support growth and energy in kids.

Begin by preparing a clean, ready workspace, wash and set up ingredients and tools, read the recipes, and pause if needed before cooking along from the PDF section.

Learn to make lettuce wraps with mango corn salsa and practice cutting peppers and mangoes, while washing leafy greens, with Katja and Tiny Green Chef.

Learn to choose a ripe mango using three simple steps—look, feel, and smell—to maximize flavor, nutrition, and digestion. Explore diverse mango colors and varieties to spot ripe fruit.

Loosen lime by pressing and rolling to soften, then cut with a serrated knife; for tiny limes, squeeze juice into your hand to trap seeds and keep flesh.

Demonstrate hand tearing cilantro, snapping off the stems as needed, and adding leaves to a kid-friendly salad to keep bites bite-size.

Learn to assemble a non-spicy mango corn salsa and lettuce cups by washing greens, chopping mango and pepper, mixing with cilantro and lime, and layering the salsa into lettuce wraps.

Master kitchen safety with the Stop framework, focusing on sharp knives, electrical appliances, and oven pots and pans, and always seek permission from a parent or adult.

Set up a clean kitchen workspace and print the experiment in progress sheet, then review instructions and observation sheet, gather all materials, and keep the kitchen lab ready.

Conduct a cucumber seed greenhouse experiment to visualize seed-to-plate growth, rinse seeds, and prepare cucumber boats for a plant based cooking demo.

Explore a guacamole stuffed cucumber boats basket, swapping corn chips for cucumber and avocado to show fast and slow energy foods in a kid-friendly plant-based snack.

Prepare your cooking area, gather washed ingredients and tools from the pdf supplies list, review the recipes, and start cooking together, pausing or rewinding as needed.

Learn to cut and mash avocado, peel veggies, slice cucumbers, remove seeds, and fashion cucumber boats filled with guacamole for a kid-friendly plant-based snack.

Cut open an avocado with a serrated knife using a firm grip, standing it up and cutting halfway before turning to separate the halves, keeping fingers safe.

Demonstrate mashing avocado into smooth or chunky textures for guacamole, remove the pit when needed, while practicing hands-on handling, washing hands, and connecting with your food.

Demonstrates peeling and grating garlic with a knife, cutting board, and zester, yielding about half a clove for guacamole with a garlicky, spicy aroma and applesauce-like texture.

Practice using a vegetable peeler to create striped cucumber slices on a dry cutting board. Keep a good grip and guide the blade away from your fingers.

Learn to make cucumber boats stuffed with guacamole, mashing avocado with garlic and lime, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and topping with tomatoes, while practicing kid-friendly plant-based cooking.

Learn essential kitchen safety using the STOP framework to identify sharp knives, electrical appliances, and hot pots, and follow guidelines with parent or adult permission.

Set up a kitchen lab for kids and families by organizing a clean experiment spot, using an in-progress sheet and observation sheet, gathering all materials, and reviewing instructions before starting.

Explore how cooking mirrors science in this plant-based trail mix experiment, mastering precise measurements and blending whole plant foods with dried options to create a nutritious, flavorful snack.

Explore a basket review to craft zesty citrus granola and two-way oat milk, using dried fruits, nuts, oats, and simple ingredients to replace quick snacks.

Prepare a clean, ready workspace, read and understand the recipes, get help if needed, and have ingredients and tools prepped; review the pdf supplies, pause as needed, and start cooking.

Learn to make orange flavored granola and oat milk while refining kitchen skills. Combine dry and wet ingredients, use a blender, bake in a pan, and practice safe oven use.

Master measuring cups and spoons, read fractions like 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup, and distinguish tsp from tbsp for recipe accuracy.

Practice oven safety by using an oven with adult permission, preheat, arrange trays on the middle shelf, wear oven mitts, and monitor doneness with a timer.

Identify wet versus dry ingredients, such as oats and nuts as dry and fresh fruits as wet; mix dry and wet separately, then combine for even flavor.

Demonstrate preparing granola on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper. Spread evenly by hand, keep it inside the sheet to prevent sticking and burning before baking.

Learn to operate a blender safely by locking base, getting help, adding liquids first, then solids, starting at low speed and increasing, using attachments to push down, and cleaning thoroughly.

Learn to store dried foods—nuts, raisins, beans, oats—using plastic, glass, or jars; keep them dry with paper towels and store cool or frozen for 2–3 months.

Set up a clean kitchen space, place the experiment in progress sheet near your station to prevent touching or eating it, and gather all materials from your sheet.

Review how to freeze ripe fruits from your basket to preserve flavor for frozen chocolate berry kebabs, exploring fruit selection, ripeness, and the frozen-food type in this module one finale.

Prepare your workspace and keep it clean. Read and understand the recipes, then gather washed ingredients and tools, using the PDF for supplies; pause or rewind to cook along.

Learn to wash and dry berries, cut with a butter knife, melt chocolate, and create frozen chocolate berry kebabs as a fun plant-based snack for kids and families.

Learn how to freeze fruit to preserve nutrition and flavor for smoothies or snacks. Follow tips like freezing on sheets and layering in containers with berries, bananas, or kiwi.

Demonstrate making frozen chocolate berry kebabs with strawberries, kiwis, and bananas, guiding washing, drying, cutting, assembling on skewers, freezing, melting chocolate, and drizzling with toppings like coconut and cinnamon.