Education Resources | Growing Chefs

Container Gardening Basics - You don't need a backyard to have fresh food growing at home! Try these tips for your very own backdoor garden. Here are some tips on growing your own organic food, and if you want to save money after your first year gardening, here are some steps to save your very own seeds.

Center for Ecoliteracy - The center creates tools, guides and resources on systems change, food and sustainablity and ecological education including this How-to-guide on designing educational gardens for children!

The Benefits of Ecological Farming - "A new approach to farming is needed to safeguard human health and avoid rising air and water pollution, high greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss, a group of 20 leading agronomists, health, nutrition and social scientists has concluded." A thought-provoking piece on ecological farming vs. industrial agriculture.

UnlockFood.ca - An award winning website run by Dietitians of Canada is great for everything from menu planning, to budgeting, to children's nutrition, including this list on how to get picky eaters to try new foods.

Disparity in Standards of Food Education in Schools - The results of a comprehensive review on the state of food education in schools conducted by the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and expert partners.
"How To Eat Ethically and Sustainably" - Penny Williams shares her guide to ethical and sustainable eating. "Understanding what ethical, sustainable and organic food means can help us make decisions when we buy foods."
Six by Sixteen - A library of cooking videos, recipes and source guides for Ontario-grown food.
BrightBites - A free, non-profit program designed for both elementary and secondary school environments where teams earn badges to improve school nutrition and boost student well-being.

Food Literacy in Education - Why is food literacy important? This website has a list of resources that will tell you all about food literacy, why it matters, and who advocates for it.

Ontario Edible Education Network - Do you want to help get children and youth eating, growing, cooking, and learning about healthy, local food but don't know where to start? This website offers some great tips on how to get started improving food literacy in your community, including this list on creating a farm-to-school program.

Unpacking Food Literacy - A webinar series by the Nutrition Resource Centre focusing on food literacy in Ontario with topics such as social justice, millennials and public health.

All of our most popular recipes in an easy to navigate list
Around the World in 80 Flavours - Travel the world from the comfort of your own kitchen! These recipes will help you introduce your family to a brave new world of flavour.
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Tired of having cereal for breakfast everyday? Then these delicious and healthy breakfast alternatives are for you!
Cookie Trials - What exactly makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie? Find out for yourself with these recipes we used at our Growing Communities session in partnership with Cornerstone.
Pasta la Vista - Need a new pasta staple for family dinner nights? These recipes put an exciting new spin on a classic dish.
Small Bites - This is a theme we use for some of our Growing Communities sessions. These recipes are great for delicious after-school snacks! For more snack ideas, take a look at our Dip It! recipes.
Smoothie Criminal - Cooking can be thirsty work, and there's nothing like a refreshing lemonade or smoothie to keep you going during the day.

Soup's On - These souper recipes are great for those busy days when dinner is a scramble. They're easy, delicious, and will impress even the pickiest of eaters.

Stir Fry Recipes - Check out the recipes and tips that we use with the grade 7 and 8s when we make in our first round of School Project visits. You can also find our presentation on stir frying here - this includes the stir fry recipes we made in our first visit. Want to get creative and work on practising your flavour profiles and adjusting ingredients? Here are the recipes that will guide you from our second visit!
Sweet Treats - These desserts are delightfully light and perfect for special occasions (or any occasion).
Taco Tuesday - The perfect compliment to a screening of the Lego Movie, this meal is fun for the whole family.
The Four Seasons - These recipes will give you some ideas for what to do with fruits and veggies while they're in season.
Think Green - "My salad days, when I was green in judgement," - Shakespeare, Anthony and Cleopatra. Whether you're looking for easy lunch ideas, or a healthy addition to dinner, these salad recipes have got you covered.

Cooking Workshop Series: Western Fair Farmers' and Artisans' Market Edition - Recreate the delicious evening of our fundraiser adult cooking class in your own kitchen. (These recipes are kid-friendly too - we use them in our community cooking workshops!)

Delicious Homemade Dog Treats - "There are two really simple treats you can make at home for your dog - sweet potato chews and peanut butter treats, so why not check out this guide on how to make both and see how much your dog loves some healthy, but delicious homemade dog treats." - Jenny Holt