Food $ense Kids
Spinach
Written by Marie Stosich RD
Brought to you by the Utah Food $ense program
Part 4 of the Preschool Obesity Prevention: Incorporating Fruits and Vegetables Into Mealtime
Objectives
Participant will:
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Participate in a cooking/food sensory experience and sample food.
Participate in a physical activity or game that reinforces food concept.
Identify food name through reading, writing or other activity.
Participate in a food exposure experience by doing an art, craft or other activity.
Teacher Instructions:
*Background facts and information for the teacher is included on page 5.
This curriculum is to be used in a variety of ways. If time is limited, pick one food experience and one
activity to supplement. Each activity is to be approximately 10-15 minutes. Additional activities are
included in the back of this lesson that can be substituted or included in the lesson.
Required Materials:
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Introduction materials - Fresh spinach leaves
Ingredients for recipes and materials for food demonstration (page 6).
Physical activity materials (pages 2-3).
Reading/writing activity materials (page 3).
Art, craft and other activity materials (page 4).
Utah Food $ense – required paperwork for program.
Optional Supplemental Materials:
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Salad spinner. Show class how you prepare spinach using a salad spinner. Let students try the
spinner.
Extra picture of spinach on page 9.
Preparation Required:
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Review lesson plan.
Review teacher background information (see page 5).
Gather ingredients and materials needed to demonstrate the recipes (page 6).
Print spinach spinner, glue to thin cardboard and assemble (see page 7).
Make copies of recipe handout you wish to distribute (see page 6) – enough for all class
participants to take home to families.
Utah Food $ense - Make copies of all required paperwork for lesson.
LESSON PLAN
Introduction
Time: 5 minutes
Ask the class:
 Do you know who Popeye is?
 What does he eat to make him strong? Answer: Spinach
 Explain: Dark leafy greens like spinach are yummy and great for our bodies. Eating spinach and
other leafy greens give us energy to run and play and have strong bodies like Popeye!
 What does spinach look like?
 What does it feel like?
 Has anyone ever tried it before?
 Show fresh spinach leaves. Let the children smell and touch them.
Objective 1: Participate in a cooking/ food sensory experience and sample food..
Time: 15 minutes
Choose a recipe that will work for your lesson.
 Spinach omelet
 Cranberry Spinach Salad
 Peach and Pican Spinach Salad
Note: When showing children how to prepare spinach, show them how to wash and dry using paper
towels or a salad spinner. Cut spinach into thin small bite size slices so that it is easier for the children to
pick-up and eat.
Objective 2: Participate in a physical activity or game that reinforces food concept.
Time: 10 minutes
Red Light/Green Light: Eat Spinach!
Ask the class: Have any of you played red light/green light before?
Explain: Today we are going to be playing the same game but will be using spinach and apples. Spinach
will represent the “green light” and apples will represent the “red light” when the person who is the caller
turns around and says “apples” you stop when they turn their back to you and say “spinach” you run
forward. If the caller turns around and catches you moving you will be out of the game. To play the game
all of you will be lined up on the start line and run or freeze based on what the caller does and says. The
first person to tag the caller wins and becomes the caller for the next game.
To do this activity:
 Mark a starting line for the children. Have them all line up horizontally behind it.
 Pick a student to be the caller for the game.
 Have the caller stand on the other side of the field/gym/room (about 15 feet away is a good
distance) with their back to the students at the line.
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In this position the caller shouts “spinach”. This allows the children to run forward toward the
caller.
At any point, the caller may say “apples” and turn around. If any of the kids are caught moving
after this has occurred, they are out.
Play resumes when the caller turns back around and says “spinach”.
The first student to make it to the caller and tag them and say “eat spinach” wins the game and is
the caller for the next game. You can play one game or repeat as many times as you would like.
Objective 3: Identify food name through reading, writing or other activity.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Spinach Spinner
Spinach Fruit and Veggie Chant
Spinner, Spinner please tell me
What my fruit or veggie will be
Spinach, apples, berries, lime
Pepper, orange, tomato, clementine
To do this activity:
 Choose a child volunteer.
 Glue the fruit and veggie spinner circle onto a piece of cardboard and cut out.
 Poke a hole in the end of the spinner arrow and use a brad to fasten it to the center of the circle.
 Sing the chant with the children and then let the child spin the spinner.
 What fruit or vegetable the child spins will determine which fruit or veggie they will spell aloud.
 Hold up the letters of the fruit or vegetable that was spun and point to each letter as you have
them spell the name of the fruit or veggie aloud (page 8).
 Repeat this process a few times until you have spelled most of the names of the fruits and veggies
on the board with the children.
 When you spell spinach remind them that is the vegetable you are learning about today.
Objective 4: Participate in a food exposure experience by doing an art, craft, or
other activity.
Time: 15 minutes
I’m Making a Spinach Salad Game
To do this activity:
 Explain: Spinach is good in salads. You can add other fruits and vegetables to your salad to make it
taste great. Let’s imagine what things we could add to a spinach salad.
 Have the children sit together on the floor in a circle. Together, have everyone say, “I’m making a
spinach salad and in my salad I’m adding __________.” Name one fruit, vegetable, or topping to add to
the salad. (Example: bell peppers, orange slices, apples, lettuce, onions, raisins, cranberries, etc.)
 Go around the circle, with everyone in the group repeating the same line followed by each fruit
salad ingredient and with each child adding their own ingredient during their turn.
 By the end of this activity, everyone will be trying to remember what everyone put in the salad.
Activity adapted from 5 minute nutrition activities for preschoolers, Page 31 – published by Learning Zone
Xpress
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Conclusion:
Time: 5 minutes
Ask the class :
 Do you like the taste of spinach?
 What was your favorite spinach recipe?
 What things could you try in a spinach salad?
 What ways will you try spinach at home?
Resources :
www.gameskidsplay.net
5 minute Nutrition Activities, LearningZoneXpress. www.learningzonexpress.com
This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low
income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S.
Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political
beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-35
4
Preschool Curriculum
Spinach
Background Teaching Information
Nutrition: Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. It is rich in vitamins C, A, and K and also a good source of
iron, folate, potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Spinach has very little calories for the amount of
nutrients it contains making it a very nutrient dense food.
Selection: Look for spinach that is free of yellowing and browning and has dark crisp leaves. Avoid
spinach that is wilted, mushy, looks excessively wet or has torn, bruised leaves. Spinach call also be found
frozen or canned.
Storage: Fresh spinach should be stored unwashed in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Pre-packaged
spinach can be stored in its original packaging. To store fresh bunch spinach remove twisted tie holding
spinach together and remove any wilted leaves. Wrap spinach in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag.
Store in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to a week.
Eating: Spinach can be eaten in a variety of ways including, raw, sautéed, baked, added to soups, lasagna,
pasta, omelets, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, pizza, or even as a stuffing for meat. You can use spinach as a
substitute for lettuce anytime.
Fun Facts:
 Spinach was first cultivated over 2,000 years ago in Iran.
 In the 1920’s the U.S. pushed spinach commercially, with the character Popeye the sailor man.
Resources and sites with additional information:
1. www.dole.com
2. www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low
income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S.
Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political
beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-35
5
RECIPES
Topic: Spinach
Spinach Omelet
Ingredients:
1 cup raw spinach, washed and chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 eggs
1/8 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a skillet. Add spinach a cook until slightly wilted. Beat eggs together in a bowl, then add spinach.
Stir mixture together. Spray pan with cooking spray, then pour in spinach and egg mixture. Cook until it begins to
set and is slightly browned. Flip over and cook until it is set and slightly browned. Fill center with a small amount
of shredded cheese and fold in half. Remove from heat, cover and let sit until cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Cranberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
1 T. Butter
¾ C. Almonds, blanched and slivered
1 lb. Spinach, rinsed and torn into bit-size pieces
1 C. dried Cranberries
Dressing:
1 T. Poppy Seeds
½ C Sugar
2 tsp. Red onion, minced
¼ C. White Wine Vinegar
½ C. Vegetable Oil
Directions:
Combine spinach, almonds and cranberries in large bowl. Whisk together poppy seeds, sugar, onion, vinegar and
vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.
Peach and Pecan Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
¾ C Pecans
2 ripe Peaches, peeled and sliced
4 C spinach, rinsed and dried
¼ C. Poppy seed salad dressing
Directions:
Combine peaches, spinach and pecans in large bowl. Toss with dressing until evenly coated.
This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low
income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S.
Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of
discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572.
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Apple
Banana
Spinach
Broccoli
Cherry
Orange
Carrot
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