Michael Tannebaum

Gracie Olson, a Reeves Elementary kindergartner and member of the school’s cooking club, works on her banana pinwheel.

Michael Tannebaum

Kindergartner Sara Thomas puts the final touches on her banana pinwheel, a snack she learned to make in the Reeves Elementary Kids Can Cook Club.

In recent weeks, some parents of students at Reeves Elementary School haven’t had to prepare after-school snacks for their children. Rather, the children have taken on the responsibility themselves.

About 25 kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders at Reeves Elementary are part of the school’s Kids Can Cook Club, which first met Nov. 12.

On five occasions this fall, the students will gather for about an hour after school to learn about healthy foods and to get some cooking experience.

Second-grade teacher Anne-Marie Clifford leads the club and receives help from some of the school’s older students.

At the club’s first meeting, Clifford asked each of the students to draw a picture or write the name of the one food that they believe to be the healthiest. A variety of fruits and vegetables were named, as were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and steak. Clifford, who explained to the children the importance of fruits and vegetables, told them they would learn several healthy recipes over the next few weeks.

Shortly thereafter, students were taught how to make banana pinwheels. Each student received a whole-wheat tortilla, a small cup of peanut butter and a banana. After watching Clifford demonstrate how to make the snack, the students proceeded to do it themselves, first spreading peanut butter on the tortilla then adding banana slices before rolling the tortilla to form a neat wrap.

By then, the children were eager to dig in, but Clifford explained to them the importance of food presentation.?“I bet many of your parents have told you not to play with your food, but food presentation allows you to do so,” Clifford told the students. “We want to make the food look pretty so that people want to eat it.”

The children then divided their banana pinwheels into several slices and organized them on their paper plates. Once complete, they devoured the tasty treats.

On Dec. 10, parents of students in the club won’t need to make an after-school snack for their children nor will they need to prepare an afternoon snack for themselves because they’ve been invited to the club to enjoy food that will be made by the young chefs.

Contact Michael Tannebaum at 873-9424 ext. 215 or mtannebaum@journalscene.com

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