CHICAGO, IL – k.o. kidz Corp., green-living resource and eco-friendly product start up, joined not-for-profit, Purple Asparagus this week to participate in their flagship program on healthy eating, Delicious, Nutritious Adventures™ at Chicago Public School, Chavez Elementary.
This program brings healthy foods to life for kids in elementary school classrooms all over Chicagoland. During Delicious Nutritious Adventures™, students taste new foods and learn where they come from, why they benefit their bodies, and how to make simple and healthy meals using them. Written recipes go home to parents to be cooked again and again – bringing whole families back around the table and encouraging healthy eating. The program is offered monthly to K-2 graders for the full academic year.
Lead teacher (“chef”), Katie Schwartz and two “assistant chefs”, Liz Lyon and Ashley Frank, led this month’s lesson focused on ‘herbs & spices’. Katie began with a children’s book covering herbs and spices from A to Z. The kid’s favorites included Vanilla and Cocao (i.e. chocolate) as well as other lesser known spices like Cola Seed which provides the flavor for cola soda drinks!
Each child was given a beautiful photo and recipe card for each featured herb including Parsley, Basil, Sage, and Rosemary. The benefits and uses of each were explained in fascinating and fun detail. Did you know?
Parsley can be used as a breath freshener and is important as a source of vitamin K for blood clotting.- Basil, as part of the mint family, helps with digestion.
- Sage is part of the evergreen family and has been used in Native American ceremonies for centuries!
- And, Rosemary is the “herb of remembrance” and should be given to loved ones.
Food vocabulary words of the month included, “bright” to describe a burst or pop of flavor and 
“aromatic” for strong scents. Kids then got to touch, taste, and smell all four herbs and try them in three recipes! All of this was expertly organized and instructed to 30 happy and well behaving first graders in 45 minutes. Amazing!!
If you’d like to learn more and support this awesome organization, Purple Asparagus is hosting its annual fundraiser, Corks & Crayons on Sunday, June 12 from 3:00-6:00pm at Uncommon Ground (1401 W. Devon) in Chicago!
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