Week 17 of Nutrition Expedition: Root Chips!

January 12-16, 2015

Root Chips

Sticking to the root vegetable theme from last week, we made our very own healthy root chips in Nutrition Expedition! The children were so interested by the strange roots I brought in:  Yucca Roots, Beets, and, of course, Sweet Potatoes! The Yucca root was the most unique; it's long tubular shape, combined with it's waxy, bark-like texture made it a curiosity for the children. They were very surprised to find that it was white on the inside, and resembled a regular potato, both in color and consistency. They also found it funny that the beet smelled like dirt, and had rings on the inside like a tree! The children observed while I peeled and sliced the vegetables, and they helped me brush the olive oil onto each slice. After a little sprinkle of salt, they were ready to go in the oven! What a tasty treat!

Read more about the Yucca root here:

Yucca Root

Cooking with Yucca Roots

In the toddler room, we made gluten-free sweet potato biscuits! They had a lot of fun adding the ingredients to the bowl (mashed sweet potato, gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, and water) and helping me stir it all together. We rolled out the dough, and cut them into tree shapes! After doubling the recipe, there were enough biscuits to share with all the classrooms. Healthy and delicious!

Gluten- Free Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe

Some of the older infants were able to enjoy the sweet potato biscuits, as well. I showed them what a sweet potato looks like, and they took turns exploring its texture. I just love their curiosity :)