By Kristin Feiler, culinary medicine dietitian at Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County (Rady Children’s)
Turning a farmers market visit into a learning experience
A farmers market is more than a place to shop. It is an outdoor classroom filled with colors, textures, aromas and opportunities for children to discover where their food comes from.
When children visit a farmers market, they can meet the people who grow their food, see produce in different shapes and sizes and choose ingredients that look interesting to them. Purchasing from local growers also supports local businesses and helps strengthen connections among families, farmers and their communities.
Most importantly, a market visit gives children a voice in what comes home.
Why choice matters
Children may not control the grocery list or family menu, but they can still participate in age-appropriate food decisions. This sense of autonomy, or having a meaningful choice, can make exploring food feel more enjoyable and less pressured.
A school-based study found that involving children in choosing a recipe, purchasing ingredients and cooking increased their willingness to try certain unfamiliar foods and reduced food neophobia. The goal is not to make children eat a particular food. Instead, it is to give them positive, repeated opportunities to see, touch, smell, prepare and, when they are ready, taste it.
Parents and caregivers can offer choices within a comfortable boundary:
- “Would you like to choose a peach or a nectarine?”
- “Which color tomato should we bring home?”
- “Choose one fruit and one vegetable for our snack.”
- “Would you like to spread, slice, tear or arrange the ingredients?”
The adult establishes the options, while the child makes the final selection.
Turning shopping into a market mission
Before visiting the farmers’ market, give each child a simple mission. Depending on their age, invite them to:
- Find fruits or vegetables in their favorite color.
- Choose one ingredient they have never tasted.
- Smell two fresh herbs and select a favorite.
- Find food that grows on a tree, vine or underground.
- Ask a farmer how one item is grown or harvested.
- Select an ingredient the family will use for a snack.
- Help count produce or stay within a small, predetermined budget.
There are no wrong selections. A crooked cucumber, tiny tomato or unusually shaped peach can become part of the fun.
From market shopper to junior chef
Learning continues when children bring their selections into the kitchen. Preparing a snack can help children practice practical chef skills, including:
- Washing and drying produce
- Measuring and counting ingredients
- Spreading with a butter knife
- Slicing soft produce with an age-appropriate knife
- Tearing fresh herbs
- Combining colors, flavors and textures
- Arranging and presenting food
- Cleaning the preparation area
Choose tasks that match each child’s developmental level and provide close adult supervision. Tasting should always be invited, never required. Touching, smelling or helping prepare a food still provides meaningful exposure.
Recipe: Mini Farmers Market Toasts Three Ways
These colorful toasts allow every junior chef to choose a spread, seasonal produce and finishing flavor. Prepare one combination or create all three for a family snack board.
Yield: 12 mini toasts
Serving size: 2 to 3 mini toasts
Preparation time: Approximately 20 minutes
Base ingredients
- 6 slices whole-grain bread, toasted and cut in half
- Freshly washed and dried farmers market produce
- Optional: whole-grain crackers in place of toast
Toast 1: Peach Sunflower Crunch
Ingredients
- 4 mini toast pieces
- ¼ cup sunflower seed butter
- 1 ripe peach or nectarine, thinly sliced
- Ground cinnamon
Junior chef skills: Spreading, slicing, sprinkling and arranging
Directions
- Spread sunflower seed butter over each piece of toast.
- Arrange peach or nectarine slices on top.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon.
Toast 2: Tomato, Ricotta and Basil
Ingredients
- 4 mini toast pieces
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 medium tomato, diced, or ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 2 to 3 fresh basil leaves
- Optional: a small drizzle of olive oil
Junior chef skills: Dicing with supervision, tearing herbs and layering
Directions
- Spread ricotta over each piece of toast.
- Add the diced or quartered tomatoes.
- Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle them over the tomatoes.
- Add a small drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Toast 3: Hummus, Cucumber and Corn
Ingredients
- 4 mini toast pieces
- ¼ cup hummus
- ½ small cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
- ¼ cup finely diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper
- Optional: a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime
Junior chef skills: Spreading, slicing, measuring and layering
Directions
- Spread hummus over each piece of toast.
- Add the cucumber and bell pepper.
- Finish with a small squeeze of lemon or lime, if desired.
Make it their own
Place the toast, spread and prepared produce in separate bowls. Let each child build a snack using the ingredients they selected at the market.
Encourage creativity with questions such as:
- How many colors can you include?
- Would you like something creamy, crunchy or juicy?
- Which ingredient should go on first?
- What would you name your creation?
- How would you describe its aroma, texture or flavor?
Children can also create a menu card, name their snack and present it to the family as a chef’s special.
Ingredient and allergy swaps
- Use gluten-free bread or crackers when needed.
- Replace ricotta with mashed avocado, hummus or a white bean spread for a dairy-free option.
- Replace hummus with mashed avocado or a sesame-free white bean spread for a sesame allergy.
- Review all ingredient labels and consider each child’s individual food allergies.
The best farmers market snack does not have to look perfect. What matters is the process. Children selected the ingredients, practiced meaningful kitchen skills and created something that was uniquely their own.
Chef Chris Otten’s Chef’s Corner
Kitchen safety tips for junior chefs
Every great recipe starts with a clean workspace. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before preparing food. Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under plain running water, including produce with peels or rinds you do not plan to eat. There is no need to use soap or a commercial produce wash. Use a clean produce brush for firm items such as cucumbers and melons, then dry everything with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Before slicing the ingredients, create a flat surface so it does not roll on the cutting board. Junior chefs can practice the claw grip by curling their fingertips safely away from the blade. Adults should select an appropriate age knife and provide close supervision. Clean hands, a steady cutting board and careful knife skills are part of every chef’s recipe for success. Now wash those hands, grab your market finds and let your junior chef’s creativity shine, one colorful bite at a time!
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Further reading
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Farmers Markets. WIC Works Resource System. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://wicworks.fns.usda.gov/resources/farmers-markets
- Maiz E, Urkia-Susin I, Urdaneta E, Allirot X. Child involvement in choosing a recipe, purchasing ingredients, and cooking at school increases willingness to try new foods and reduces food neophobia. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2021;53(4):279-289. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2020.12.015.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely. Updated March 5, 2024. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-produce-safely
