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Other Activities

Unit 3 - Russia and VegetablesReadingFind out how people around the world prepare andeat potatoes. Russians eat potato latkes, but how dothe Irish eat potatoes? Australians? Africans? In yourhometown? Find out how people in at least eightcountries prepare and eat potatoes. If possible,prepare one of these dishes and share it with thegroup.

NutritionSet up an experiment to determine the smallest pieceof potato that can produce a new potato plant. Sharethe results with the group.

CookingUse your senses to learn about herbs. Place severalsamples of herb plants and their labels on anewspaper in front of the youth. Start by using thesense of sight and describe the differences andsimilarities between the different herbs. Ask the youthto describe the color, size, and texture of the leaves.Observe the presence of flowers, their color andshape.Next, the youth will use their senses of smell andtouch. Demonstrate how they are to gently rub theleaves of these plants between their fingers beforethey smell them (this rubbing releases the oils in theleaves, and allows for a better whiff of the herb'saroma). One by one, pick up an herb, state its name, and pass it around for the youth to feel andsmell. Ask them to describe how the leaves feel: Are they soft? Rough? Smooth? Slippery? Bumpy?Now, describe how the leaves smell. Do they have astrong smell? Sweet smell? Bad smell? The youth willdiscover that the common feature of most herb plantsis that they have a strong smell. Do not taste theherbs, as they are used in cooking and their flavor is extremely strong.

CultureCommon vegetables in Russia include beets, carrots,cabbage, onions, artichokes, cucumbers, mushrooms,lima beans, Brussels sprouts, and green and waxbeans. Collect pictures of these foods and ask thegroup to identify and place them in the subgroups of MyPyramid.Russian Stacking Dolls or Matroishka Dolls are awell-known Russian tradition. Reproduce the pattern(page 3) on white construction paper. Color and cutout the dolls. Fold and staple each doll. Each doll willfit into the next.

Did You Know?MyPyramid recommends youth eat 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day. In general, 1 cup of raw orcooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups ofraw leafy greens can be considered as 1 cup fromthe Vegetables Group. Review the vegetables chart(next page) listing specific amounts that count as 1cup of vegetables (in some cases equivalents for 1/2

cup are also shown) towards your recommendedintake.

4-H Afterschool Food, Culture, & Reading - www.4-hcurriculum.org/fcr N4-H BU-08379

24-H Afterschool Food, Culture, & Reading - www.4-hcurriculum.org/fcr N4-H BU-08379

Amount that counts as 1 cup Amount that counts as 1/2 cupof vegetables of vegetables

Dark-green Vegetables

Broccoli 1 cup chopped or florets3 spears 5” long raw or cooked

Greens (collards, mustard greens, 1 cup cooked turnip greens, kale)Spinach 1 cup cooked

2 cups raw is equivalent to 1 cup of vegetables 1 cup raw is equivalent to 1/2 cup of vegetablesRaw leafy greens: spinach, 2 cups raw is equivalent to 1 cup of vegetables 1 cup raw is equivalent to 1/2 cup of vegetablesromaine, watercress, dark-greenleafy lettuce, endive, escarole

Orange Vegetables

Carrots 1 cup, strips, slices, or chopped, raw or cooked 1 medium carrot2 medium About 6 baby carrots1 cup baby carrots (about 12)

Pumpkin 1 cup mashed, cookedSweet potato 1 large baked (2 1/4“ or more diameter)

1 cup sliced or mashed, cookedWinter squash (acorn, 1 cup cubed, cooked 1/2 acorn squash, baked (3/4 cup)butternut, hubbard)

Dry Beans and Peas

Dry beans and peas (such as 1 cup whole or mashed, cookedblack, garbanzo, kidney, pinto,or soy beans, or black-eyed peas or split peas)Tofu 1 cup 1/2” cubes (about 8 ounces) 1 piece 2 1/2“ x 2 3/4“ x 1” (about 4 ounces)

Starchy Vegetables

Corn, yellow or white 1 cup 1 small ear (about 6” long)1 large ear (8” to 9” long)

Green peas 1 cupWhite potatoes 1 cup diced, mashed

1 medium boiled or baked (2 1/2“ to 3” diameter)French fried: 20 medium to long strips (2 1/2”to 4” long) (contains discretionary calories)

Other Vegetables

Bean sprouts 1 cup cooked

Cabbage, green 1 cup, chopped or shredded raw or cooked

Cauliflower 1 cup pieces or florets raw or cooked

Celery 1 cup, diced or sliced, raw or cooked 1 large stalk (11”to 12” long)2 large stalks (11” to 12” long)

Cucumbers 1 cup raw, sliced or chopped

Green or wax beans 1 cup cooked

Green or red peppers 1 cup chopped, raw or cooked 1 small pepper1 large pepper (3” diameter, 3 3/4” long)

Lettuce, iceberg or head 2 cups raw, shredded or chopped is equivalent 1 cup raw, shredded or chopped is equivalentto 1 cup of vegetables to 1/2 cup of vegetables

Mushrooms 1 cup raw or cooked

Onions 1 cup chopped, raw or cooked

Tomatoes 1 large raw whole (3”) 1 small raw whole (21/4“)1 cup chopped or sliced, raw, canned, or cooked 1 medium canned

Tomato or mixed-vegetable juice 1 cup 1/2 cup

Summer squash or zucchini 1 cup cooked, sliced or diced

Source: www.MyPyramid.gov

Vegetables

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Source: Multicultural Mini-units by Sherrill B. Flora ISBN 0-513-02178-7-X

4-H Afterschool Food, Culture, & Reading - www.4-hcurriculum.org/fcr N4-H BU-08379