Taste Test - Mix It Up!

Taste Test Ideas for Fruits and Vegetables

• Be Adventurous - try fruits like kiwi, pomegranates, or star fruit. Have children from different cultural backgrounds suggest fruits that they commonly eat at home (platanos, guava, etc.)
• Taste by Color - try different green vegetables (broccoli, green beans, kale) or orange fruit (peaches, nectarines) or a fruit and vegetable of the same color (red pepper and red cherry)
• Eat the Alphabet - try fruits and vegetables of the same letter (refer to the book Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert for an alphabet of ideas). Examples may include: apricots and apples, or melons and mangos.
• Taste by Part of the Plant - use the "What Part of the Plant are You Eating?" worksheet for a guided testing plan and/or use the examples below:
  • Root: carrot, onion, potato, turnip, yam, beets
  • Stem: asparagus, rhubarb, celery, fennel
  • Leaf: spinach, chard, cabbage, lettuce, collards
  • Flower: broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke
  • Fruit (of the vegetable plant): squash, tomato, cucumber
  • Seed: beans, corn, peas, soy beans
• Taste by Variety - compare different apples, pears, peppers, berries, etc., or compare the same food prepared different ways (for instance, raw apples versus applesauce, which is cooked; or raw versus steamed broccoli). Have kids bring in vegetable recipes that are part of their (or their parent's) culture.