Food Explorers Kit

Each Food Explorers kit contains five different sets of educational materials that interact with each other, as well as a Parent Guide. Each kit includes:

Explorers Journal

A 92-page booklet filled with fascinating information about the 3 classifications of grains, beans, and seeds, which we call “Teams”, each with 16 examples of each type of grain, bean, and seed, children’s reflection questions about the grain, bean, or seed once tasted, quizzical drawing challenges, food science experiments, vocabulary, and word puzzles, drawing and art projects, and a glossary. 

Flash Cards

48 “baseball-style” cards. Each card has a graphic representation of a grain, bean, or seed on one side, and nutritional information and fun facts on the other side. The grains, beans, and seeds are divided by category and “teams” just like sports teams. These cards can be used by parents to test their children’s knowledge about the food on each card. They can also be used by children to collect, trade, and play with as they choose.

Peel-Off Stickers

48 peel-off stickers that are used with the Explorers Journal. Children are asked to place a sticker on that grain, bean, or seed’s page in the journal once they have tasted the grain, bean, or seed.

Recipe Cards

24 recipes (12 two-sided cards) that incorporate the grains, beans, and seeds your children try throughout each challenge.

World Map

A map with country names where your children are asked to locate where each grain, bean, or seed was discovered. 

Parent Guide

A guide that provides information that will make implementing the Food Explorers Challenge program easy for you and rewarding for your children.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will my children learn in the program?

Your children will learn about healthy eating through hands-on activities that include opportunities for them to taste new and familiar grains, beans, and seeds, discover where the grain, bean, or seed they eat originates, practice age-appropriate cooking skills, and have fun while they learn about nutrition and the importance of balanced and healthful eating.

What are some of the grains, beans, and seeds my child will explore?

Your children will taste a variety of 48 familiar and unfamiliar grains, beans, and seeds like lentils, wild rice, whole oats, dried peas, pinto beans, and navy beans.

How often should I explore a new grain, bean, or seed with my children?

Set a schedule of when your children will explore new grains, beans, and seeds. Our recommendation is to try two to three new grains, beans, or seeds a week, but you will decide what works best for your family. This will take a child between four to five months to complete the Food Explorers Challenge: Grains, Beans, and Seeds of the World.

What materials do we need to do the program?

The Food Explorers Challenge will require food items. The challenge is designed to include grains, beans, and seeds that can be found in any grocery store. To help your children through their food exploration, we also include recipes that include grains, beans, and seeds found throughout their journey. To complete the recipes, we recommend using child-safe knives and a child-friendly measuring cup and spoon set. However, you can use what you have in your kitchen, but remember that they should be an appropriate size for children to cut, scoop, measure, and pour as they do the recipes. Many child-sized culinary tools can readily be found online. 

*How do you determine how much I must pay for the program?

As a nonprofit organization, we are committed to bringing the message of healthier eating to children across the country. The cost of the program covers our production and shipping expenses only.  We fund the balance of the program’s expenses through the generosity of individuals just like you.