Guacamole with Veggie Shapes

Recipe and photography by Amanda Klein as a part of our Healthy Summer Recipe Series

There is no greater summer staple than fresh guacamole! A perfect snack poolside or during a busy camp day, this nutritious classic is a blast to make. Work with your little ones to whip up guac using our favorite, simple recipe that is sure to please. When you are done, ditch the chips and make veggie shapes instead, which will support motor development and emerging spatial awareness. 

Ingredients

Guacamole:

3 ripe avocados

Juice from 1 lemon or lime

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh cilantro

Veggie shapes:

1 large cucumber

Small cookie cutters in any shapes you like

Instructions 

1. Create a visual recipe with your children or, depending on their age, read through the recipe with them. This offers a literacy opportunity and reinforces the skill of following a recipe, which involves the ability to follow multi-step directions. Once you have a game plan you are ready to cook! 
2. Using a sharp chef's knife, slice through the avocados lengthwise until you feel the knife hit the pit. Then rotate the avocado, keeping the knife steady, to make a cut all around the pit. Twist the two halves apart and remove the pits.
3. Ask your little ones to remove the avocado flesh from the skin by using a spoon to scoop it out. 
4. Chop the avocado flesh into large chunks and add to a bowl with lemon juice and salt.
5. Mash the avocado into the lemon juice with the back of a fork or use a large mortar and pestle to mash it into the desired consistency. This is where your kiddos will really enjoy getting involved! Put their muscles to work by having them smash up the avocado. 
6. Cut the cucumber into thick rounds and assist your children in using the cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the cucumber rounds. As your children create shapes narrate the experience to introduce spatial vocabulary by saying things like "You are creating a star out of the cucumber." or "You are putting the square cucumber on top of the heart." If your child is older ask them questions like, "Can you make a pattern out of the shapes?"  
7. Enjoy!