Fruit Smoothies

Overview

Lesson 5 of 7 in “Cooking Through Technology” focuses on applying nutrition and food safety knowledge by making fruit smoothies. Students practise selecting, preparing, and combining ingredients, using heat-free techniques, and using taste/texture/smell to judge seasoning and results.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• WALT follow hygiene and food safety routines to prepare ingredients safely.
• WALT apply basic knife and prep skills to prepare fruit for smoothies.
• WALT understand and apply principles of nutrition and healthy eating when choosing ingredients.
• WALT become competent in a range of cooking techniques by selecting and combining ingredients to make a savoury/healthy-style dish (in this case, a cold fruit smoothie).
• WALT understand and describe the source and seasonality of ingredients and why they matter.

Success criteria

Students can:

• Prepare a fruit smoothie using correct hygiene steps (clean hands, safe surfaces, correct storage).
• Chop fruit safely and use utensils correctly without cross-contamination.
• Explain at least two nutritional benefits of ingredients (e.g., fibre, vitamin C, potassium).
• Identify one food safety risk and describe how to reduce it (e.g., washing produce, keeping chilled).

(Use the class “Lesson 5 checklist” throughout: Hygiene → Prep → Blend → Taste & Improve.)

Curriculum links

• Cooking techniques: selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils; combining ingredients; adapting a recipe based on taste/texture.
• Repertoire: cook a predominantly savoury/healthy range so they can feed themselves and others with a varied diet (healthy smoothie choice).
• Nutrition and health: understand and apply principles of nutrition and health.
• Ingredients: understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter: safety temperature check. Teacher shows a “Safety Signals” slide with 3 scenarios (unclean hands, fruit not washed, blender left dirty). Students work in pairs to choose the safest action and justify briefly.

2. 5–12 min · Demonstration: prep and hygiene routine. Teacher demonstrates the exact hygiene sequence (wash hands, clear area, clean chopping board, wash fruit, safe knife hold, wipe surfaces) and shows a safe way to load the blender. Students watch and note the “Top 3” safety rules on their recipe card.

3. 12–30 min · Make: fruit smoothie production. Teacher releases 4 students with their tiered kit and guides around the room. Students:

• wash fruit, peel if required, and cut into small pieces,
• measure ingredients using the provided scales/measuring spoons,
• blend, then taste and adjust (e.g., add more fruit, a squeeze of citrus, or a sweetener if allowed by kit).

4. 30–37 min · Nutrition quick talk: ingredient benefits. Teacher prompts: “Which ingredients give energy, fibre, and vitamins?” Students complete a short “Nutrition & Health” prompt: write/dictate two benefits and match each to an ingredient.

5. 37–44 min · Hygiene review and peer check. Teacher conducts a fast table audit: bins, surfaces, knife storage, blender safety, and chilled storage. Students do a 60-second peer check using the checklist, then tidy to a clean reset.

6. 44–45 min · Exit ticket. Students answer: “Name one food safety risk and one nutritional benefit from your smoothie.” Collect for quick formative assessment.

Resources

• Tiered smoothie kits (fruit variety, yoghurt/alt, juice/water options, optional honey/citrus if included)
• Dyslexia-friendly recipe cards (simple language, short steps, icons)
• Knife safety demonstrator (or video) + student safety handouts
• Chopping boards, blunt-tipped classroom knives (as appropriate), prep trays
• Blender(s), jugs, lids, measuring spoons, scales
• Handwashing station instructions + wipes + bin liners
• Nutrition prompt cards (fibre, vitamins, hydration) and sentence stems
• Allergen reminder cards and teacher-held allergen information sheet
• Cleaning cloths and sanitiser (teacher-controlled where required)

Assessment

• During making: teacher observation checklist for hygiene steps and safe knife use (quick ticks).
• During nutrition talk: check that students correctly link at least two nutritional benefits to ingredients.
• Exit ticket: identify misconceptions about food safety or nutrition.

Differentiation

• Tier 1 (SEND support / emerging): ready-measured, pre-cut fruit option within the kit; recipe card with icons; sentence starters for nutrition (“My smoothie has … because …”).
• Tier 2 (core): standard recipe card with clear step order; teacher-led knife guidance for fewer cuts; guided blending (portioning controlled).
• Tier 3 (secure): student takes full responsibility for measuring and cutting; prompts to adjust smoothie thickness using fruit/water ratio.
• Tier 4 (advanced): challenge ingredients list with at least one “source/seasonality” question to justify a choice (e.g., why use fresh seasonal fruit).
• EAL support: visual ingredient cards and bilingual/keyword support where possible; teacher modelling of key words (wash, cut, blend, fibre, vitamins).
• Dyslexia-friendly options: short-line recipe cards, high-contrast print, and audio read-through from the teacher; step icons instead of long text.

Extension (advanced learners only)

• Students research and present on the health benefits of different fruits used in the smoothie (mini poster or 60-second explanation).
• Success criteria for extension: name one fruit, state one specific health benefit, and support it with a simple reason tied to nutrition (e.g., vitamin C helps the body; fibre supports digestion).