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Writer's pictureAmy Wung Tsao

Food Science - Where Does Food Come From?

“Everything in food is science.

The only subjective part is when you eat it.”

~ Alton Brown


Photo of a light-skinned hand pulling up red chili plants with large green leaves and red stems out of the dirt.
Credit: Jonathan Kemper (@jupp) on Unsplash

In the fall, my thoughts turn to harvest and cozy family meals. But don’t forget all the science that goes into the bounty on our tables! 


Here are some of my favorite STEM books, videos, and activities around agriculture, factory robots, and other incredible food science.


 (Just a reminder - I am never paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)


 

Food Science Videos




Why Do Pumpkins Get So Big? from SciShow Kids


Most kids know that the pumpkin in their pie came from a farm.  But do they know why some pumpkins are bigger than others? Learn some fun facts about record-breaking pumpkins, and along the way learn about plant cells, and the xylem and phloem plant parts that pump water and sugar into those giant pumpkins! (Teachers, this video aligns with 1-LS1-1, 2-LS2-1.)



from SciShow Kids


The answer is a 4 lb Hakuto apple grown in Japan. (That’s as big as a small watermelon!) Learn about some other fascinating apple varieties, then learn how breeders can select for different apple traits like color, taste, and size.  (Teachers, this video aligns with 1-LS3-1.)


This video could tie into a bigger science theme on inherited and acquired traits (see my post last year on Fat Bear Week!). 




from Quest TV


My 5 year old and I are mesmerized by “How It’s Made” food videos. Here’s one from the Pepperidge Farm stuffing factory. Just watching these giant robots make bread at scale is pretty amazing! 


 

Food Science Books



Cover illustration of a girl on a dairy farm, a boy stirring a vat of curds and whey, and a girl taking a cheese round off the shelf. The title reads “Who Made My Lunch? From Milk to Cheese.”

written by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman


My kids are fascinated by this series! The books cover all of kids’ favorite foods: “From Milk to Ice Cream”, “From Wheat to Bread”, “From Peanuts to Peanut Butter”, “From Grapes to Jelly”, “From Milk to Cheese”, and of course “From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate.” There are lots of great visuals of farms and factories, fascinating for kids who think food just appears magically in grocery stores.



Cover illustration of a girl with black hair, white rimmed glasses, and light brown skin eagerly writing with a red marker in a pink journal. A smiling black and white rabbit is resting on the side of her head and looking at the journal. The journal cover is plastered with strawberry doodles and strawberry stickers.

written by Shannon Anderson, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett


Jolie is determined to convince the “old people” (her parents, ha!) to let her try growing strawberries. And they do! Learn along with Jolie as she deals with pests and manages an abundant harveste. There’s lots of helpful tips for kids who are inspired to try growing their own strawberries!


For teachers, there's an 8-lesson educator’s guide to go with the book - here’s a sample lesson that aligns with math standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.A.1. 



Cover illustration of a dark skinned man holding onto a shovel, and looking determined while standing in front of rows of vegetables inside a greenhouse.

written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by  Shabazz Larkin


This is the inspiring true story of Will Allen’s urban farming project that won him a MacArthur genius grant in 2008. 


Basketball star Will Allen saw an abandoned city lot and imagined a huge table, big enough to feed the whole world. So he built a thriving urban farm there, because “Will Allen can see what others can’t see. When he sees kids, he sees farmers.” 


 

Food Science Experiments



Close-up photo of a celery stalk sitting in a glass jar with red water. The top cut end of the celery stalk has red dots where the colored red water has traveled up to.

from KiwiCo


In this colorful experiment, kids will get to see how plants get water from their roots all the way to their leaves! Great way to reinforce how water is in so much of what we eat. This could also jumpstart a conversation on how pollution could affect our food supply.



 Four photos of fruit at the store, arranged in a quadrant: photo 1 has green lychees in red mesh plastic bags; photo 2 has apples in clear plastic bags; photo 3 has berries in plastic clamshells ; photo 4 has Asian pears wrapped individually in foam mesh.

Experiment with Fruit Packaging from Science Buddies


Follow the scientific method as you experiment with how bananas ripen inside different packaging -  paper bags, plastic bags, plastic boxes, cardboard boxes, with and without holes. Because even packaging affects how food gets to your table!


 

I hope your month is full of delicious food and inspiring science! 


Next month I’m going to do something a little different and send you my STEM gift guide for young kids.  Until then, have fun lighting sparks of curiosity! 


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