(cheerful piano music)
♪ You are the best you the world will see ♪
♪ Come along now and share you with me ♪
♪ Let's learn something new and share feelings too ♪
♪ 'Cause these are the things to do to be the best you ♪
- Hello, Auntie Lena.
- Oh. (Auntie Lena laughing)
Hello Possum and hello friends.
I'm just finishing up a little snack here.
- Oh, well I'm sorry to interrupt.
- Oh, no worries Possum,
I'm happy to see you and our friend.
- Oh, I'm happy too and ready for today's story.
Well, you said it's all about food
and food is one of my favorite things.
- I know, that's right, Possum.
And the story is not only about how food tastes
but it's also about how food fuels our bodies.
- Food does what?
- Food fuels our bodies.
It gives us the energy we need to dance,
to study and do our chores.
- Oh, how does it do all that?
- Think of it this way.
A car needs fuel to make it go, right?
- Mm-hmm.
So we need food to make us go?
- Exactly.
Food gives us energy or fuel to go and grow.
- Go and grow. (Possum laughing)
That rhymes.
- Yes, just like today's story, "Ayomide and Seyi's Kitchen"
Let's listen with our friends
and the author Dr. Margaret Towolawi
at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands.
- Hello friends. - Hello friends.
- I'm Dr. Margaret and I'm here with my son...
- Ayomide.
- And where are we, son?
- Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands.
- Yes, that's right.
And I'm super excited to share with you all my book
"Ayomide and Seyi's Kitchen,
A kids' guide to plant-based nutrition from A to Z,"
illustrated by Anabella Ortiz.
Are you excited son, to read?
- Yes. - Let's do it, alright.
"Hello, my name is Ayomide.
This is Seyi, my little sister.
Together, we will teach you some things
about plant-based nutrition.
We are excited to welcome you to our kitchen.
So, step right up.
There are so many tasty foods that fill this space.
We can't wait to give you an alphabet tour of the place.
A is for apple.
Kids and parents love them, of course.
Whether sweet or sour, they are a yummy fiber source."
- "B is for broccoli.
Eat it sauteed, steamed, roasted or raw.
The flavor is sure to leave your taste buds in awe."
- [Dr. Margaret] "C is for calcium.
It is in many foods like kale and bok choy,
just to name a few.
They both have twice the amount of calcium as cow's milk.
Who knew?
D is for vitamin D.
This vitamin helps build strong bones.
It's in foods like soy milk and cereal
but the number one way to get it is from the sun.
Be sure to wear your sunscreen
or sunburn might ruin your fun.
E is for energy.
We need energy to learn and run at school.
Plant-based proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
provide great fuel."
Ayomide, what type of foods do you like to eat at school?
I know you love to run around and play soccer.
What are your favorite foods to eat at school?
- Sometimes apples and sometimes oranges.
- Mm-hmm.
- And I feel like that's it.
- Okay. (Margaret laughing)
All right.
"F is for fiber.
Get it in oats, seeds, fruits, veggies, grains and nuts.
Fiber is only found in plant foods
and is great for your gut."
- [Ayomide] "G is for glucose.
We prefer this simple sugar
found in fruits that nature grew.
Needs some ideas?
Try plumps, peaches and dates.
All three are sweet and good for you too."
- "H is for habañero.
We like spicy peppers in our house."
That's true, isn't it?
"If you can't stand the heat, don't worry.
We won't kick you out.
I is for iron.
Did you know that spinach, cocoa powder,
and black eyed peas all contain iron?
Iron is important for your red blood cells.
It helps transport oxygen to keep you well."
Oh, this is your favorite part.
I'll let you read this one.
- "J is for jollof rice.
It's our favorite type of rice.
Stew it with tomatoes and just the right amount of spice."
- "K is for kale.
Oh, how we love this green bunch.
Eat it in a salad or roast it
to make kale chips that go -" - [Together] CRUNCH."
- "L is for legumes.
Have you heard of chickpeas?
How about lentils?
Both are found in this group.
Legumes keep you regular.
Yes, they help you poop." - Poop.
- "M is for milk.
That's plant-based milk, of course.
Consider oat, hemp, rice, soy, or almond milk.
The next time you go shopping
for a dairy-free choice.
N it's for nice cream.
We know you will love this dairy-free treat.
It's made from blended frozen bananas
and you can even add ingredients to make it more sweet.
O is for Omega-3s.
Chia, hemp and flax seeds all contain omega-3s.
We add these to our morning smoothies
for a healthy start to our day.
They're great for your heart
that pumps blood through your body when you play."
What's your favorite type of smoothie?
- Blueberries, mango, strawberry and orange smoothie.
- Yeah, that's a good one.
"P is for plant-based proteins.
You can get protein from plants.
It is true.
Did you know that one cup of green peas
has about ten grams of protein?
That's right, peas are so tasty
and very good for you too." - [Ayomide] You too.
- [Margaret] "Q is for quinoa.
Some say it has a funny name.
It just so happens to be one of our favorite grains."
- [Ayomide] "R is for rice.
You can try wild, brown, jasmine, and even cauliflower.
Mix it up with veggies for your lunch or dinner hour."
- "S is for salad.
Eating a variety of fruits and veggies each day
is a great healthy habit.
Our favorite salad recipe has mixed greens,
chopped apples, raisins, and carrots."
You like that one?
So I put it in the book just for you.
"T is for tofu.
Try extra firm to make a tofu scramble
or silken for the perfect chocolate mousse.
Get creative with this soybean block.
There are so many options to choose."
- [Ayomide] "U is ube.
It is a type of sweet potato, also known as purple yam.
You'll find it similar in shade to your favorite jam."
- "V is for veggies.
Make sure to eat at least five daily servings of these.
Need some ideas?
Try celery, beets, swiss chard and snap peas.
W is for walnut.
Magnesium and omegas fill this mighty nut.
Skip the salt and roast it for extra flavor
if you are in a rut.
X is for xigua.
Say that three times fast."
Xigua, xigua, xigua. - Xigua, xigua, xigua.
- [Margaret] "It's a variety of watermelon grown in Africa
that looks and tastes like the watermelon
we've enjoyed in summers past.
Y is for yeast.
Have you heard of nutritional yeast?
Add these yellow flakes on tops of foods
that you love to savor.
You can even add them to your popcorn
for a nutty, cheesy flavor.
Z is for zucchini.
Did you know that zucchini is a fruit?
That's right, it's not a veggie.
And guess what?
We have another interesting fact to tell."
- [Ayomide] "It has vitamin A,
which helps your eyes to see well."
- "Thank you for touring our kitchen.
You really are the best.
We can't wait to have you back as our special dinner guest.
We hope that you learned a few new things
about how plant-based nutrition does your body well.
In the meantime, help us spread the word
by sharing this book at your next show and tell."
Did you like that?
Was that good?
- Yes. (Margaret laughing)
- I hope you'll enjoy this book at home, friends.
Bye-bye, thank you. - Bye.
- Wow, I can't believe
there's a whole alphabet of food out there to eat.
- And to think,
I usually eat the same thing over and over.
I see now that I've missed out
on a lot of yummy and nutritious treats.
- Auntie Lena, what does nutritious mean?
- Ah, it means food that is healthy or good for your body.
- Oh, but how do we know when food is healthy?
- Hmm, good question.
Foods that are plant-based and come from the ground,
trees and bushes are usually healthy.
Do you remember some of the plant-based foods
from the story?
- I remember there was broccoli and apples, peas, kale
and my new favorite vegetable ube.
(Auntie Lena laughing)
- And I also learned about xigua, a variety of watermelon.
I really enjoy watermelon
and I look forward to trying a different kind.
- You know what, Auntie Lena?
- I have a feeling I know, but tell me anyway.
- I'm feeling famished.
- Famished, Possum?
- Mm-hmm, it's a new word I learned
and it means I'm very, very, very hungry.
- Got it, Possum.
- Well, let's visit with Dr. Towolawi again
and see if she can share a snack with us.
- Hello friends. - Hello friends.
Hi, I am Dr. Margaret.
- And I'm Leila.
- And today I'm super excited
to share one of my favorite recipes with you, my date bites.
Have you had date bites before?
- No.
- Well, you're in for a treat today
and this recipe is based off of my book
"Ayomide and Seyi's Kitchen."
And under the letter G, we say G is for glucose
because this recipe is super sweet.
You wanna go ahead and try it?
- Yeah. - Let's do it.
All right, so first up, we have our dates.
Have you had dates before?
- [Leila] Mm, I've had them a couple times.
- [Margaret] But you haven't had date bites though, right?
- [Leila] No. (Margaret laughing)
- All right, so what we're gonna do
is first we're gonna get our dates
and we're gonna take this seed out.
Some people can buy dates without the seeds
so those are pitted.
But these ones have the seeds in,
so you can use your fingers like this.
or a knife if you have a grownup helping you,
you're doing a great job at that.
So just pop out that seed
and we'll toss them into that bowl there.
You need some help or you got it?
- I got it. - Yeah, you got it.
Dates are really yummy.
They're a great source of glucose, something sweet.
I like to say the type of candy that nature grew.
That's what I say in my book after all.
Other types of fruits that are really sweet,
peaches and plums, have you had those before?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Leila, what are some of your favorite fruits?
- I like apples, raspberries, maybe blackberries.
- Ooh, yum, yum.
I definitely like all three of those as well, yeah.
All right, and I'm gonna help you out, if that's okay,
can I help you with this one?
- [Leila] Mm-hmm.
- You wanna kind of shape them
into almost like a little bowl
so you can get all that peanut butter
if you're using peanut butter.
And if you're allergic to nuts,
you can use sunflower seed butter too.
Alright, how you doing there?
- Good. - Okay, perfect.
Alright, so then now
I'm gonna have you help me out with the peanut butter.
It's a little bit sticky, but that's okay.
I'm gonna have you scoop out a little bit of peanut butter
into this perfectly shaped date.
Date bowl at this point. (Leila chuckling)
All right.
That looks good already.
So there we have our first one and we'll set that aside.
Okay, perfect.
- It's very sticky.
- It is very sticky, but that's good.
Alright, you're a natural at this.
Do you like chocolate?
- [Leila] Yeah, I do.
- I love dark chocolate.
So while you're doing that last one,
I'm gonna break you off a little bit of chocolate
and you can get ready to stuff that one there.
Now at home, if you're making this
I like to do chocolate in my house.
We've done pretzel bits as well, so just have fun.
So take a bit of chocolate
and just stuff that right in the middle.
Can even take a bigger piece if you want.
And just push it in, just like that.
That looks great.
Alright, so now that we've got our date bites almost ready.
So we have the choice of hemp seeds or coconut flakes.
What do you wanna do?
- [Leila] Hemp seeds. - Hemp seeds.
So hemp seeds I love.
I also talk about them in my book
underneath the letter O, O is for omega-3s.
Now hemp seeds have Omega-3s
which are really important to help your heart work well
and your brain work well.
Did you know that? - No.
- Now you know, go ahead, sprinkle as much as you want.
All over the four of 'em.
You can just kind of go to town.
And you know what I'm feeling?
I'm feeling fancy today.
I'm gonna come behind you with these coconut flakes
once you're done.
And then, let's see, that looks pretty good.
What do you think?
- Yeah. - You wanna try one?
- Sure. (Margaret chuckling)
(Margaret laughing)
- These date bites,
where do you think you could take them with you
on a typical day?
- Maybe I could bring them to school or hiking.
- [Margaret] I like that, they're a great source of energy,
natural glucose.
- Thank you Dr. Margaret for showing me this recipe.
- You're very welcome.
And I hope that our friends at home
will love these date bites too.
Bye-Bye. - Bye.
- Thank you friends.
- [Possum] It's time for Movement Minute.
(Possum bouncing)
- Hello friends.
Welcome to Movement Minute.
I am Coach Mayra,
and we are here at Rainier Health and Fitness.
And today we're gonna learn how to do a burpee.
Okay, first thing,
we're gonna bring our hands all the way down to the ground.
Now we're gonna kick our legs back
to be on a plank, then kick legs forward,
and then we're gonna jump nice and high.
Again, down, forward and up.
Down, forward and up.
If you wanna a little bit of a challenge,
we're gonna come all the way down for a pushup,
up, forward and up.
Again, all the way down, up, forward and up.
If we need to make it a little bit easier,
we're gonna bring our hands down,
step with one foot at a time, step forward and jump up.
Again, step back,
step forward, and jump up.
Thank you guys.
Thank you for joining me.
See you next time.
(magical chime)
- Auntie Lena,
can I still eat healthy if I like pie?
- Absolutely Possum.
It's okay to enjoy treats like bug berry pie
every once in a while.
We need to enjoy a rainbow of foods.
- But sometimes I'm not sure
that healthy food is gonna taste as good as bug berry pie.
- I know what you mean.
There are some foods that we may not enjoy
as much as others,
but the good news is that there are a lot
of different healthy foods to discover and try.
Are there any vegetables from today's story
that you are curious about?
- Well, I like the sound of zucchini.
Have you tried it before?
- Yes, zucchini is delicious
and there are a lot of ways to enjoy it.
You can eat it raw, have it in bread
or even make it into noodles.
- Can I put it in worm-sghetti?
- You sure can Possum,
what a great way to try something new.
- Oh, like when we tried ube with our friends.
Oh, I could eat ube all day every day.
It's so yummy and healthy.
- That's why it's important to try a variety of foods.
Ube is delicious.
And aren't you glad you tried it?
- Mm-hmm and I can't wait to try zucchini
but what else should I try Auntie Lena?
- Mm, that's a good question, Possum.
Let's look, listen and learn with our friends
at the Wing Luke Museum to see what healthy foods
Ms. Taylor enjoys.
(magical chime)
- Hi friends, I'm Taylor
and we're here at the Wing Luke Museum.
I'm super excited because today's art project
is going to combine my favorite things, art and food.
So first you need a white paper plate.
We're gonna be making a healthy food plate
to help encourage us to eat delicious foods
that are good for our bodies that help us go and grow.
We're gonna go and have any magazines that you have
and I have some pictures already precut, of different foods.
I also have markers here
some glue and scissors and color pencils.
And if you you don't have magazines at home,
that's totally okay.
You can also draw pictures of your favorite foods.
First step is I'm going to divide the plate
into our four food groups.
So our food groups are, we have vegetables
I'm gonna call them veggies.
Next, we have our fruits.
So delicious.
We have our grains
and we have protein.
So these are the four types of food groups
that we need to really make sure
that we have a healthy diet,
make sure that our bodies are nice and strong
and awake and alert.
Food is so important for us.
So the first step is I'm gonna go through
some of the pictures that I've already cut out.
And let's see.
Hmm, oh, I found a picture of some bread.
Mm, I love bread.
Let's see, where would this go under?
Mm, I don't think protein.
Oh, bread goes under grains.
So what I'm gonna do is I'm going to put a little glue
on my plate
and glue my yummy, yummy bread to my plate.
Oh, it looks good.
Next, I want to add some fruits.
I love fruits, let's see.
Oh, some of my favorite fruits are strawberries.
This is what strawberries look like.
This is what they are
before they are picked off of their vine.
Also, I think I wanna draw something to my fruit plate too.
Let's see if you can guess what it is.
So it's kind of like an oval shape
and it's green
and it has a brown pit in the middle.
What do you think that is?
It's an avocado.
A lot of people think avocados are vegetables
but technically they're actually fruits
which I think is really cool.
So I'm gonna add avocado to my fruits.
Let's see, ooh, veggies.
Oh, these are some really yummy ones.
Here we have cucumber and we also have some edamame.
We're gonna add it to our veggie plate over here.
A fun thing about me is I'm actually a vegetarian
which means that I don't eat meat
but in order to get my protein, I do eat eggs.
Where do eggs come from?
(Taylor clucking)
They come from chickens.
So let's see, I think I have some eggs here somewhere.
Oh, I also found something else.
Nuts, eggs and nuts are a type of protein.
So I'm gonna add that to my protein
because I don't eat meat like other people.
Some people are vegetarians or vegans.
Maybe they do it for their health and their body.
Some people may do it for religious reasons
or because it's part of their their culture to not eat meat.
So I'm gonna add my egg and my nuts to the protein.
Anything else?
I wanna maybe look through the magazines.
(Taylor gasping)
Wow, look at all of these yummy fruits.
There's so many good ones.
I see strawberries here.
Maybe even some fruits I don't even think I know the name of
or haven't had yet.
Oh, but that would be so cool.
This project can help inspire us to try foods
we haven't had before.
Hmm.
I think I want to add these yummy berries to my fruits.
So I'm just gonna cut them out like so.
I love that there's different types.
We have blackberries and raspberries,
lots of different types.
I'll add this to my fruits over here.
I think I wanna add another protein.
(Taylor gasping)
Oh, wow.
These are my favorite.
These are mushrooms, chanterelle mushrooms.
These are actually full of protein, plant-based protein.
They're so yummy.
Their flavor is kind of umami.
Do you know that word, umami?
It's savory.
So it's a nice savory,
maybe a little bit of a spice to it, type of mushroom.
They're my all time favorites.
So I'm gonna cut out this yummy mushroom
and add it to my protein plate.
Hey friends, I have a question for you.
What types of foods do you eat more of at home?
Do you think you eat lots of vegetables at home
or do you eat a lot of fruits?
Maybe protein?
Maybe you eat meat at home
and you like hamburgers and hot dogs.
What about grains?
Lots of breads and bagels and cereals.
Hmm, is there anything extra that you can add
into a different space of your plate?
Maybe you eat lots of cereal for breakfast
but you need to eat some extra fruits.
So we can use this plate as a tool to help us figure out
what areas on our plate do we need more of?
I think I really wanna add some extra veggies
but in my real tummy.
So I think I'm gonna go and eat a salad.
Mm, I love a good crunchy salad.
Well, friends, I hope you had a fun time.
And remember, don't forget to eat the rainbow.
There's so many delicious foods out there,
lots of different colors.
Add them to your plate and see what wonderful things
that you'll fill in your mouth and your tummy.
Well, friends, I had such a fun time with you all.
Have a great day.
I'll see you next time.
(magical chime)
- Possum, can we see your healthy food plate?
- Oh, yeah, what do you think?
- Oh, it's very colorful.
What are some of the foods that you put in here?
- Oh, there's ube, a banana and bugs.
- Oh, what a variety.
- Oh, I've had one of the best days ever.
I love learning about new food that helps me go and grow.
- I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Possum.
So, what's on the menu for dinner tonight?
- Oh, worm-sghetti with zucchini noodles.
- Of course. (Auntie Lena laughing)
- Oh, thank you Auntie Lena.
- You're welcome.
And friends, thank you for taking the time
to look, listen and learn with us today.
Remember, you are the best you that the world will ever see.
- Bye for now. - Goodbye.
(soft music)
- [Announcer 1] Please stay tuned after the credits
for Auntie Lena's parent tip.
- [Announcer 2] Brought to you by public health.
Protect yourself and your family from serious illness
by staying up to date on your Covid boosters.
Resources and information at kingcounty.gov/vaccine.
(cheerful music)
- I admit it.
Growing up, I was the kid who loved vegetables.
The poor little lima bean
was really the only vegetable that I was on the outs with.
But mom snuck them in with corn, okra, and tomatoes
and I was good to go.
So what about you and your early learner?
Is food an adventure of discovering new taste treats?
Or are you having to enlist tactics
to get around creative avoidance?
And the old tried and true,
"Please just eat your vegetables."
Dr. Towolawi's book,
"A Kid's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition from A to Z"
is a fun and creative way to get your family talking
about and trying new healthy foods.
Walk down the produce aisle
and ask your early learner to select something new
or colorful that catches their eye.
And if you're not already doing so,
borrow a tip from my mom and try and shake things up.
Play with your food a little bit
and see what new combinations your child may like.
Getting kiddos to enjoy their food
is also an opportunity to introduce gratitude
and help them understand that food is a gift
that someone took the time to grow
and harvest their food to be enjoyed.
This concept is a great way to build on traditions
of giving thanks for the food that helps us go and grow.