Know your food Finding out about dairy foods years
Dairy - an introduction Nutrition Dairy foods are an excellent source of protein. Proteins should contribute 10-15 per cent of our total energy (calorie) intake. This amount is essential for normal growth and repair of body tissues. Dairy foods are also the main source of calcium for most people s diets. Calcium is essential for bone growth and density, and to minimise the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones) in later life. Notes on cheese Cheeses of many kinds come from around the world with a wide variety of smells and tastes. The cheese activity lets children try these, and discuss a range of other dairy foods. Aims of the session: To introduce children to the variety of dairy foods available. To encourage them to be confident in their food choices. To extend the range of foods they are willing to try. To teach them where dairy foods come from and how they are made. Suitable for ages five to seven Curriculum links: maths, English, science, geography. Estimated delivery time: 30 minutes to an hour. Activities can be done separately in the times given, with two or three filling an hour. Select activities according to the time you have. Outline of activities 1. Children are introduced to a range of dairy products through an interactive game. The origins of each are explained (20 minutes). 2. Children taste a selection of cheeses and compare flavours and experiences (30 minutes). 3. Children make a flavoured yoghurt, using a selection of fruits (including canned, frozen, fresh and dried) and honey (30 minutes).
Activity 1: An introduction to dairy products Estimated delivery time: 30 minutes What you will need A selection of dairy products for the game ensuring there are enough for at least one for every two children, i.e. 15 product packs. Use empty containers for this so you don t have to buy fresh samples each time you do the activity. Here are some suggestions: Full fat milk Semi-skimmed milk Butter Cream Strawberry yoghurt (four pack) Greek yoghurt Cream cheese Cheese triangles Grated Cheddar Block of Cheddar Piece of soft cheese e.g. Brie Parmesan cheese (ambient tube not fresh) Chocolate milk Milkshake Smoothie Cottage cheese Soya milk (if available) Dairy ice cream Also, if you are using any fresh products: Antibacterial spray and cleaning cloths Disposable table cloths How to run this session Before the children arrive set out the various dairy products (empty packaging) around the room. As the children enter ask them to get into pairs and give each pair an empty carton. Ask the group to sit down so you can introduce yourself and the session. Use the notes overleaf to discuss where milk comes from. In-school KNOW your food FINDING OUT ABOUT DAIRY PRODUCTS
Introduction First explain that most of the milk that we drink comes from a cow on a farm. The cow has to have a calf and then it starts to produce milk. Once the cow has had her calf, she can be milked regularly by the farmer. The milk is treated and made safe for us to drink. We eat lots of different types of food that are made from milk. We call these dairy products. Cheese Explain that the milk is processed with another ingredient to make it become hard. The longer the cheese is stored, the harder and more strongly flavoured it becomes. (NB. Making a simple cheese can be shown in a follow-up session with the class teacher.) Yoghurt The milk is mixed with a bacterial culture to make it become rich and creamy. Butter The milk is churned to separate the fat from the whey. Whey is the liquid that is left behind. An easy way to turn cream into butter is by shaking the cream in a jam jar, although it does take some time! Milk We drink milk as well as having it on our cereal for breakfast. It s a good sports drink too, much healthier than a soft drink or an energy drink. Soya milk This is the odd one out! It s not strictly a dairy product, because it s made from soya beans, but is often found on the dairy food aisle in shops because it s an alternative to milk. It s used by people who may be allergic to cows milk. You could ask some open questions: Has anyone seen any other types of milk when they ve been shopping which don t come from a cow? (We also drink goats milk. In some countries, they drink camels milk!) Can anyone think of any other things which are made with milk? (Ice cream, milkshake, smoothie.) Questions to ask the children Go round the room, asking: What is your dairy food? Do you know what it s made from? What animal produces the milk? Have you ever tried it? Do you like it? How to finish this session Finish by asking the children whether they ve seen any foods they haven t tried before.
Activity 2: Cheese tasting Estimated delivery time: 30 minutes What you will need Airtight boxes, with 30 small squares of each cheese, cut and ready to sample. Choose 3 or 4 from the list to taste and take as many as you can for the display. (The cheese will need to be transported using a cold bag and ice blocks.) Mild Cheddar Extra strong Cheddar Cheese with bits in e.g. Wensleydale with cranberries or Double Gloucester with chives Blue cheese e.g. Stilton, Danish Blue Cheese with holes in e.g. Swiss Emmenthal, Jarlsberg Smelly cheese e.g. English goats cheese, Brie Paper plates Cocktail sticks Bin bag for waste Antibacterial gel, spray and cleaning cloths Disposable tablecloths Before the children arrive Put the cheese onto the plates. Put eight pieces of the same type of cheese on each plate, give enough pieces of cheese for each child to have a taste. How to run this session Sample each of the cheeses in the following way: 1. Organise the class into eight groups of three or four. 2. Give each group a plate of each cheese. Make sure each plate has enough pieces of cheese for every child to have a taste. Explain that we will all taste the same cheese at the same time and then talk about it. 3. Remind the children that the cheese we eat is mostly made from cows milk and that the UK produces more than 700 different types of cheeses! 4. Mention the nutritional benefits: Dairy foods are an excellent source of protein which your body needs to grow and heal after you have hurt yourself. Dairy is really good for calcium which makes your bones strong. It s good to eat cheese regularly but only a little at a time. In-school KNOW your food FINDING OUT ABOUT DAIRY PRODUCTS
Introduction If you haven t already, explain that most of the milk that we drink comes from a cow on a farm. The cow has to have a calf and then it starts to produce milk. Once the cow has had her calf, she can be milked regularly by the farmer. The milk is treated and made safe for us to drink. We eat lots of different types of food that are made from milk. We call these dairy products. Introduce the cheeses Encourage the children to try all the cheeses, even the ones they don t like the look of. For each one, get the children to smell it first and then taste it. Cheddar cheese is probably the best known cheese in the country. It originally came from a place called Cheddar, which is in Somerset, but it is made all over the world now. See if they can smell and taste the difference between the mild and strong varieties. Cheese with bits in: Wensleydale or Double Gloucester are mild cheeses with fruit or herbs added for extra flavour. Do you think fruit goes well with cheese? What other kinds of fruit or flavours do you think would be nice added to cheese (pineapple, ginger, nuts)? Blue cheese: Stilton is one of the most famous cheeses from our country. What do you think makes it blue (mould)? Cheese with holes in: Swiss cheese is famous for being holey but do you think it makes a difference to the taste? Smelly cheese: How many people have tried a smelly cheese? Describe the smell can anyone smell socks? Yuk or yum? After the group has tasted each cheese ask them to think of words to describe the taste. Use these words to help the children to describe the taste, smell, colour and texture. Write them on the board as you go along. Is the texture (feel) of the cheese: Soft Hard Spongy Moist Smooth Lumpy Chewy Dry Grainy Powdery Creamy Holey Is the taste of the cheese: Strong Sour Vinegary Sweet Salty Soapy Very tasty Tangy Mushroomy Milky How to finish this session At the end of the tasting, ask the children to vote for their favourite cheese.