Episode 84 – Joanne from The Little Foodies Club

In this episode, I talk to Joanne Roach from The Little Foodies Club about what prompted her to set up the club and her passion for growing and eating seasonal food.

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About Joanne

“I help parents and teachers to get their kids growing and cooking fruit and veg. I make children’s books set in a veggie patch and then loads of resources, videos and activities based around the stories.

I have an early years and community background, and that’s where I learned the value of letting children learn through play.

I love growing my own food, we started in little pots and now we have a big veggie patch, and I love cooking mostly plant-based foods and experimenting with new recipes and finding ways to preserve foods I have grown.“

How did it all start?

We had a small vegetable patch in our garden and a couple of times a year Joanne would invite the local school children over to see what was growing, help do some planting or digging and taste the produce available.

Twice she was asked in January where the strawberries were, and after having to explain why they didn’t grow when there was snow on the ground, the idea for the Little Foodies Books was born.

What are The Little Foodies Books

Each month there is a book that is themed around seasonal foods, and also taking into account what is happening each month. Each month you follow the adventure of the fruit and vegetable characters. Filled with activities you find out more about them and then cook a seasonal recipe.

It is aimed at 3-8 year olds, and Joanne is looking at creating a further scheme for slightly older children, or those that have already bought and enjoyed the 12 Little Foodies books.

The Membership

Joanne found she was adding activities and realised that she could create a monthly subscription box, that is delivered directly to the child in the post.

This is a fun way to connect with each month and the seasons. Each box has 10 activities which explore the star fruit or vegetable and the growing and eating pleasures of the month, including seeds or cooking equipment for practical projects.

You also get a Little Foodies Passport where you can add stickers each month, for the different foods that you have tried.

Can you imagine eating 120 different varieties?

Joanne is keen to point out that it isn’t about challenging children to eat foods that they don’t like. But it is about encouraging them to be more connected to those foods. Touching, feeling and recognising different fruits and vegetables is much more interactive.

However, if your child tries just one new food a month, then by the time they have reached 10 they will have tried 120 different foods – how amazing is that?

Plus, helping children to learn how to understand how the food tastes and why they like, or don’t like it, can be great. Using a wider range of descriptive language rather than just ‘do you like that’ but ‘how does it taste’ can be key to creating better understanding.

Quick fire!

What is your most positively memorable meal? Falafel, from the street vendors in Berlin.
What food reminds you of childhood? Chops, potatoes and vegetables.
What have you got for tea? Bottom of the freezer risotto!

Joanne’s links

Joanne has a huge amount of FREE resources on her website, she mentioned many of them on the website and she encourages everyone to connect with her and enjoy playing with food more!