From Seed to Plate

A closer look at plants

Allowing kids the opportunity to see how food is grown and literally taste the success of a crop is a wonderful way to help your children kindle a relationship with food.

People have been gardening for a very long time, let your children know that it was even before your grandparents and great grandparents were alive. Once upon a time, there were no food in boxes or bags, there was only food coming right out of the ground! Transparency with kids in regards to food is a good way to build trust so they can let down their food wall and accept the goodness of things coming from the ground.

Having a healthy garden is very similar to having a healthy body. Having a healthy body involves your entire body, from toes to head. Having a healthy garden depends on if you have a healthy soil or not. Nutrient dense soil (one way to get this is from composting), followed by  sunlight and the cooperation of the weather are ways to insure your garden is taken care of. Different parts of the plant all work together to make the plant grow and be healthy.

The process goes a little something like this:

1. manufacture food through photosynthesis
2. Gas/air exchange (CO2 to Oxygen)
3. Protect vegetative and floral buds
4. Transport water
5. Store food during germinations
6. Collect water for roots
7. Provide shade for roots and stem
8. Flat to provide a lot of surface area for photosynthesis, gas exchange and water transportation.

Now that you have an overall idea of what all plants need to grow and what’s going on behind the scenes, let’s break down plant parts so little ears can understand. There are activities and snack ideas to assist you while you teach them about the wonders of plants! Remember to have fun. 🙂

Printable plant parts coloring page!

Introduction to the seed:

“I can hold 250 tomatoes in my hand.”

“How is this possible?”

The seed is made up of three main parts: embryo, endosperm and seed coat. Make the correlation between planting seeds and eating them. How good some seeds are for you loaded with protein and healthy fats.

Germenation is the resumption of active embryo growth. The embryo is basically a miniature plant. The endosperm is the built-in food supply, which is made up of proteins, carbohydrates or fats. The testa (seed coat) is the hard out covering, which protects the seed from disease and insects. It also prevents water from entering the seed, which would initiate the germination process before the proper time.

Vocab:

• Seed coat – provides protection for the seeds
• Embryonic Root – First part of the seed to grow and will turn into the root
• Cotyledon – First set of “leaves” to emerge and provides nutrients for the tiny plant. They look unlike the rest of the leaves that will emerge.
• First Leaves – These are the first true leaves and emerge after the cotyledons.

Hands on seed activity: Dissect a bean seed

1. To dissect the bean carefully remove the seed coat with your fingernails. Then separate the two halves (cotyledons). Inside you should find the tiny first leaves and the embryonic root.
2. Take this time to go over the parts of a seed – see below.
3. Now you can germinate the seeds to figure out if they are viable. You need a moist paper towel folded into quarters and 10 seeds of your liking. Place the seeds on the edge of the towel. Roll up the towel and place in a plastic bag. Level with the date and seed variety.
4. Once a day for the next week, have your child unroll the towel and blow on the seeds to give them one carbon dioxide.
5. Seeds are viable if 60% germinate within 5-7 days. Below 50% germination, seeds are considered non-viable.

Hands on seed activity 2: Grow an avocado tree

Does your family eat avocados? If not, you should start because they are the very best nutritionally and you can do so much with them. Ever heard of chocolate avocado brownies? Absolutely delicious. Avocados make everything better.

With all the avocado pits I end up with I thought that there must be something fun to do with them. Which brings me to growing your own avocado tree with just a few easy steps, some tooth picks, a glass of water and an avocado seed. Check the steps out here!

Growing an avocado tree is easy!

Snack ideas to focus on seeds:

• Black bean hummus – I suggest adding pumpkin seeds to top it off!
• Chia pudding – Chia seeds are delicious and nutritious. If your child doesn’t like the texture of chia seeds, simply throw them in the blender!

What are roots:

“What is your favorite root?”

“Carrots?!?”

• Roots anchor and provide support for the plant.
• Roots absorb the water and nutrients necessary for plant growth.
• Roots prevent soil from eroding.
• Roots increase organic material and help with moisture retention as they decompose (acting like a blanket).
• Roots store sugars and carbohydrates.

Hands on root activity:

1. Cut off 2″ from the top of each carrot. Remove any old leaves. Place the carrot top cut side down in a plastic cup. Add water until the carrot is halfway covered. Place rocks around the carrot to hold it in place. Put the bowl in a bright place, but not too sunny or too hot. Make sure there is always water in the container.
2. Have your child predict what will happen to the carrot.

Snack idea to focus on roots:

Coat carrots in coconut oil then roast them in your oven at 350 for 30 minutes, if using the large carrots (do not overcook – mushy carrots are yuck). Once they have cooked, have your child season each one differently! I suggest trying salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper or even just toss one in butter.

Fun Root Fact:

Did you know? Aspen trees that grow near each other often share the same roots. This makes Pando, an Aspen tree grove in Utah, the world’s largest organism. It includes 47,000 stems and covers 107 acres. It is thought to be 80,000 years old!

Charlie pointing to some beautiful Aspen trees!

They will slowly but surely start to like plants. Persistence and education are your friend. Be patient, you are doing the very best you can. Plant those seeds of wisdom in your kids, they will start to grow soon.

You are doing the best you can. No one did anything worthwhile and life changing in one day! 😉 It takes time. You can do this! -ML