Recipes for the Early Years

Step-by-step instructions and customizable mix-ins make this recipe an engaging tool for teachers looking to support food literacy in a meaningful, approachable way.  

Designed with classroom learning in mind, this recipe invites students to build their own “blueberry skyscraper” using simple ingredients like oatmeal, cottage cheese, maple syrup, and fruit. 

This simple recipe for Lily and Kokum’s Strawberry Sauce is classroom-friendly, and a perfect way to support food skill development through hands-on cooking. Pair it with ice cream or yogurt, or use it as a fun follow-up to The Curious Cook video exploring how strawberries grow.

This classroom-friendly Mini Pizzas recipe invites students to build their own personalized creations using a variety of crust options – like English muffins, pita, tortillas, or naan – along with protein foods, sauce, veggies, cheese, and flavour boosters.

Create a Bread Tasting Board where students explore a variety of breads, spreads, and dips using all five senses. It’s a fun way to spark curiosity and conversation about different textures and flavours.   

This Checkerboard Cheese Sandwich recipe invites learners to explore shapes, patterns, and structure while building hands-on food skills. It’s a fun way to bring creativity and food together in the classroom.   

Mix and match your own ingredients with this easy “Instant” Oatmeal recipe. Learners build personalized flavour combinations by adding their favourite mix-ins and toppings while practising food skills like measuring and mixing. 

Introduce students to kefir in a fun, hands-on way with these creamy fudge pops. This recipe is designed for classroom use and helps students practise mixing, pouring, and observing how ingredients change from liquid to solid as they freeze.

This teacher-submitted recipe is a fun, hands-on classroom activity where students build their own silly apple creations while practising fine motor skills like spreading, assembling, and placing ingredients. 

Created with teachers in mind, this hands-on activity makes it easy to bring food skills into the classroom –no stove or oven required. 

This Strawberry Ice Cream in a Bag recipe is well-loved by our dietitian team. Made with simple ingredients, this is both fun and educational, as students shake their own ice cream and watch it turn from a liquid to a solid!

Bring science and food skills together with this refreshing, no-fuss recipe made for classroom cooking. As students mix and freeze the ingredients, they can explore how liquids turn into solids – and enjoy a cool snack at the end!

This no-cook recipe is a simple and flexible way to explore food skills in the classroom. Students can build their own yogurt parfaits using ingredients like cereal, seeds, and fruit – fresh, frozen, or canned. 

Blending nutrition and hands-on learning, this Banana Berry Bliss Smoothie recipe helps students build food skills like measuring, mixing, and using a blender – while providing an opportunity to explore food using their senses. 

Bursting with raspberries, strawberries, yogurt, and milk, this “Very Berry Smoothie” gives learners a chance to practise food skills like measuring and blending. 

With creamy yogurt, juicy mango, and a hint of spice from cinnamon or cardamom, learners can practise measuring and mixing while exploring sensory elements like taste, texture, and temperature. 

As they blend together bananas, yogurt, milk, chia seeds, and their choice of peanut or seed butter, students gain confidence in measuring, mixing, and experimenting with flavour – all while staying classroom-safe with easy nut-free swaps. 

A simple smoothie recipe featuring blueberries, pineapple, spinach, milk, and yogurt. This smoothie activity includes a recipe video and photo-supported instructions to guide students as they measure, blend, and explore ingredients.

Designed for teachers, this recipe supports the development of food skills like measuring and mixing while encouraging creativity through personalized toppings and fun designs. A great choice for any class exploring food in a fun, engaging way. 

With simple steps, this no-bake recipe supports hands-on learning and is perfect for developing foundational food skills in a fun, low-prep way.  

This classroom-friendly dip recipe gives students the chance to practise measuring and mixing while exploring the flavours of different herbs.

This dip recipe gives students the chance to explore ingredients, learn about taste and texture, and try a variety of Canadian food products.

With simple ingredients and a customizable base, students can explore flavour combinations they enjoy – while building confidence in the kitchen.

This simple dip encourages development of food skills, like measuring and mixing, and includes unique ingredients like lemon juice, ginger, and honey to add a little zing.

This sweet dip is a fun and simple recipe for classrooms that builds food skills and encourages safe food exploration using sunflower seed butter – an allergy-friendly alternative to peanut butter or similar spreads.