From Soil to Toast

Gigi is the newest member of the FoodEducators family. She is a little goat with a bright entrepreneurial spirit who lives in Explora Valley.

When Gigi finds out that there is no carrot jam on sale, she embarks on a journey of food discovery, learning about farming, mastering new cooking skills and, ultimately, setting up her own carrot jam shop.

“From Soil to Toast” is FoodEducators’ first Zine – a foldable magazine that children can read and play with while it unfolds into a colourful A2-sized poster, perfect for decorating children’s bedrooms and classrooms. The Zine explores the steps and careers associated with preparing a delicious carrot jam. It includes games and the recipe of carrot jam. Have fun!

Our Aim

This Zine aims to encourage children to think critically about the food system and raise awareness about exciting careers related to the food sector.

This playful, creative and informative Zine can be used at home or in the classroom, together with FoodEducators' teaching materials, articles, and videos. If your school is interested in collaborating with us, please contact us.

• FoodEducators and FoodUnfolded are supported by EIT Food, the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community.

Where can you find this Zine?

You can download the translatable and editable digital version here!

Food Production:

Without farmers, a lot of food could not arrive on our plates. During her adventure, Gigi meets three characters who work on the carrot field, who are they?

• Suggested resources: Interviews of James Evans, who is a farmer, and Oli Hilbourne, who uses drones to help farmers improve their yields. Learn about their lives by watching the videos!

Fun facts to reflect about food production:

• History: Carrots were originally cultivated for their aromatic leaves and seeds, not their roots, which were bitter and woody.

• Colours: Carrots come in various colours, including orange, purple, yellow, white, and red. Before the 17th century, almost all cultivated carrots were purple, white and yellow. It was the Dutch farmers who preferred the orange version of this vegetable that became so popular.

• Harvest: Carrots are usually harvested with machines called multi-row harvesters. Machine harvesting is quicker than hand-harvesting, but tractors can pollute the environment.

• Guinness Records: The world's longest carrot on record measured over 6 metres.

• Yield: Around 20-30 tons of carrots are produced per hectare. For comparison cucumbers yield 15 tons per hectare.

• Carrot Greens: Have you ever tasted carrot leaf soup or kirsch? The greens can be also used for compost and animal feed. If you find carrots with their leaves, you can actually sprout the upper portion of the carrot at home in a pot, but the carrot won’t grow back.

• Waste: Not all carrots look the same. Some carrots might have funny shapes, but they are still delicious and healthy to eat. Did you know that in Europe, almost 30% of yummy fruits and veggies are thrown away each year, just because they look a little different?

Food Processing:

Food processing means transforming raw ingredients into a final product. In the story, Gigi and Max develop the steps to transform carrots into a delicious carrot jam. Which ingredients and steps do they use?

• Suggested resources: Lesson Plan on Food Processing, Lesson Plan on Linear and Circular Food Systems, FoodUnfolded's Articles about Sugar, and Interview to Richie Bennett, who is a quality manager.

Fun facts to reflect about food processing:

• History: Jam-making dates back centuries and was historically done to preserve fruit during times when fresh fruit was not readily available, such as winter or periods of scarcity.

• Lemon's Role: Why do you need lemons in the jam? Citrus fruits contain pectin. Pectin is like a long chain. When the jam is boiling, the pectin chain binds to itself, forming a gel as the jam cools and sets.

• Sugar's Origin: Where is sugar coming from? How many kilometres does sugar travel to reach jam factories? Sugar cane is primarily grown in tropical and subtropical regions and requires large amounts of water for cultivation. Sugar beet can be grown in temperate regions, including Europe.

• Sugar's Role: Sugar plays a role in making jam yummy and long-lasting! Carrots contain water. By binding the water, sugar ensures that there isn't enough free water left for any harmful microbes to grow. This helps keep the jam fresh and tasty for a long time. Additionally, you can replace white sugar with alternatives like brown sugar, dates or honey.

Packaging and Marketing:

In her quest to produce and sell carrot jam in the shop, Gigi must package and label her carrot jam to make it attractive to customers while also displaying all the necessary safety information.

Food Labels:

Pay close attention to the labels of several food items. Which elements do you notice? Which type of information repeats in all labels?

In Europe, food labels must include all these details: name of the food, ingredient list, allergen information, date marking (best before / use by), country of origin, name and address of the food business, net quantity, and any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use

By any chance, have you found a green symbol that looks like this? This symbol means that the jam is organic, cultivated without artificial chemicals and fertilisers.

Labels in Europe must also contain the following nutritional information: energy value, amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt.

• Suggested resources: Lesson Plans on Food Labels, Healthy Eating, and Healthy Breakfast, and Interview with Hannah Baugh, a nutritionist.

Design your own jam label exercise:

Have you ever wondered who invents and creates the advertisements you can see on TV and the packages of your favourite food items? Analyse them carefully:

Which colours and design did they choose to attract your attention? For example, are products targeting children using strong or pale colours? Why?

Logos are symbols that represent companies or brands. Can you spot some logos in products around your house?

To sell more, some companies like using short and catchy sentences called slogans. Are you able to create slogans that rhyme? For example: "This carrot jam is treasure, to eat with pleasure", "Carrots are a superstar, they boost your sight, this jam is a treat that shines so... (bright!)", "Carrot Jam, a tasty delight, spread it on toast, day and... (night)", "Savour this special carrot jam, your taste buds will... (thank)!".

• Suggested resource: Day in the life video of Laura Elphick, Communications Manager at EIT Food.

Transport and Purchasing:

Once the jars are ready, Gigi needs to transport and sell them in the market. Which means of transport does Gigi use to more around Explora Valley?

Purchasing locally-grown carrots and food reduces their emissions of a gas called 'Carbon Dioxide'. When there's too much of it in the air, it can make our planet warmer, and that's what we call climate change. It is present in the smoke of the cars and trucks.

Consumption:

This is the moment Gigi has been eagerly waiting for! Now, she and her friends can enjoy a fantastic carrot jam party.

Fun facts to reflect about food consumption:

• Sweet: Do you like sweet food? Why is it so addictive? Sugar can make a special chemical called dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is like a messenger that tells your brain, 'Hey, this is really good!' It gives you a happy feeling, like a little burst of joy.

• Sugar: Why is too much sugar bad for you?
  • Some bacteria in our mouth eat sugar, produce acids and cause cavities. That's why it's important to brush our teeth and limit sugary snacks.
  • If we eat too much sugar, we may gain extra weight. To keep our bodies healthy, it's best to choose healthier snacks instead of sugary treats.
  • When we fill up on sugary foods, we do not have enough room for other food rich in vitamins, minerals and fibres, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
  • Sugary foods can give us quick bursts of energy, but then we may feel tired and grumpy afterward.

• Creative Cooking: What foods that contain carrots do you know? Have you ever tried carrot muffins, carrot burgers and carrot lollipops?

Waste Recovery:

Have you noticed what happens to the empty glass jars in Explora Valley? Gigi cleans the empty glass jars to reuse them.
What to do with empty glass jars at home? Do you have a way to recycle them at home?
To encourage recycling, some countries in Europe have bottle return machines. When you insert your empty bottle, you get some money back. Why are these machines helpful?

Game: how many carrots did you count in the poster?

• Answer: there are 45 carrots (including the carrot shown on the computer screen and the carrot drawn on the label of the big jar).