A recipe for real-world learning
The idea started simply: how can we teach kids about nutrition in a way that sticks? The answer turned out to be far from traditional.
Instead of textbooks, the students started with a field trip—to a supermarket. There, they explored food labels, decoded ingredients, and discovered just how much sugar can hide in everyday foods. Back at school, sugar cube sculptures brought those lessons to life.
“We wanted students to see food not just as something we eat, but as something we choose, understand, and even create.” – Carmelo Zamora Parrado, Educator and Sustainability Lead at REAL School Budapest
From soup pots to publishing
Next came a Soup Challenge. Students worked in teams to research healthy recipes, budget their shopping lists, and hunt for ingredients at the local market. Back in the school kitchen, they cooked from scratch and presented their creations to a tasting jury.
It was a challenge that blended everything from budgeting and time management to preparation skills and teamwork.
Afterwards, the class explored different cookbooks to understand recipe structures and design. They visited bookshops, practiced writing clear instructions, and learned the language of cooking: slicing, dicing, simmering, whisking.
One highlight? A trip to a local orchard, where students picked fresh apples and turned them into healthy muffins with the help of a pastry chef. It was a delicious way to connect the dots between soil, harvest, and the final bite!
Turning ideas into a real book
As their confidence grew, so did their ambition. Each student wrote and illustrated a recipe for the book, along with chapters on nutrition and family food traditions. The work went through rounds of peer review, teacher feedback, and even a special critique session with parents.
A professional artist helped students design the final layout and illustrations. Then, after months of hard work, Fire Dragons Kitchen was sent to print!
A finished cookbook and a launch to celebrate
To launch the book, the students hosted a school-wide event, complete with presentations, tastings, and sales of their freshly published cookbook. Copies are still available at REAL School Budapest for anyone curious to see what happens when education and creativity meet in the kitchen!
Why this project mattered
For students, this wasn’t just a project about food. It was a lesson in self-expression, responsibility, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. They left with a book, but also a deeper understanding of food, health, and creativity.
And for the educators, it was a reminder of what’s possible when learning steps outside the classroom and into the world.
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Interested in trying something similar?
Explore our lesson plans to bring creative and engaging food education to your classroom!
