Grazing Plates of the Imagination
Grazing plates and cheese boards are perfect for little hands and big appetites. They’re fun to assemble and a yummy opportunity for children to get creative with their friends and classmates.
If you’ve not explored grazing plates at your school or early childhood service, it’s cheddar late than never! Children need plenty of calcium to build strong, healthy bones. By mixing and matching cheeses and creamy dips with fresh fruits and veggies, children can craft a colourful spread that’s both calcium-packed and whey fun!
Read on for tips and recipes, then show us your most innovative Grazing Plates of the Imagination to win a $1000 hamper of grazing goodies, thanks to our partner Saputo Dairy Australia. Head to the Terms & Conditions for more info and get your entries in before midnight 6 September 2024.
1. Cheeses galore
Explore different textures and flavours by including lots of cheeses on your grazing plate. This sensory exploration heightens children’s taste buds, by distinguishing between sweet, savoury and tangy profiles.
Parmesan, Pecorino and Fetta: sharp and salty.
Brie and Camembert: creamy and rich.
Blue Cheese, Smoked Cheddar and Vintage Cheddar: bold and punchy.
Gouda, Colby, Havarti, Mozzarella and Edam: smooth and buttery.
Remember to bring cheese to room temperature before serving, for maximum taste, and provide a different knife for each cheese to prevent mixing flavours.
Have fun with different shapes too – try cheese cubes, spreadable cream cheese, sticks of cheddar and wedges of firm cheese.
2. Dips for dunking
Adding creamy yoghurt-based dips to your grazing plate is a fantastic way to incorporate even more calcium.
American ranch dip is perfect for veggie dipping. Traditionally made with dill and chives stirred through mayo and sour cream, you can experiment with yoghurt and cream, and lots of fresh chopped herbs from your school or service garden.
Raita is simple to make and contains lots of cucumber for texture – helping to build upon peeling and knife skills.
Beetroot borani will add a splash of colour. A spoonful of this pink Persian yoghurt sauce can be rolled in a fresh herb leaf or drizzled over raw veggies on your grazing plate. This recipe is included in the unit ‘The Science of Taste’ as an example of a balanced dish using sour flavours. The unit can be found in our resource Tools for Teachers 5 – Years 5 & 6 (currently 50% off in our shop).
Members of the Kitchen Garden Program can download our Beetroot borani recipe, here.
3. Veggies for crunching
Crisp, colourful crudités are a must-have on a grazing plate.
Carrot sticks and lightly-blanched asparagus spears: perfect for dipping.
Cucumber and radish slices: cool and refreshing.
Capsicum strips: bright and crisp.
Celery sticks: fun ‘canoes’ for cream cheese.
4. Fruity frenzy
Add a sweet, fruity flair to your grazing plate.
Grapes: bite-sized and juicy.
Berry medley: vibrant and tart.
Dried fruits: texture-filled and tangy.
Apple slices: crisp and sweet.
Try our ‘apple slices three ways’. Part of our no-cook series, this recipe uses just three simple ingredients that come together quickly. Try all three toppings separately or even together.
5. Crispy add-ons
Include some crunch.
Pretzel sticks: great for dunking.
Seeds: protein punch (check for nut allergies).
Crackers: good for scooping.
Our easy-to-make lavosh recipe produces a thin yet satisfying seeded crispbread.
6. Pickles and preserves
Tangy pickles offer a refreshing contrast to creamy cheeses, cleansing little palates between bites. A dollop of fruity or spicy chutney on a cracker with cheddar cheese creates a flavour explosion! Relishes can also serve as a flavourful dip for fresh bread.
Pickles, jams and sauces made by students at Moonah Primary School in TAS.
7. Creative presentation
Make your plate a visual feast!
Rainbow patterns and edible flowers create eye-catching appeal.
Mini skewers add a playful touch. Try skewering cheese cubes, fruits and veggies.
Cheese, fruit and cracker shapes can be made with biscuit cutters.
Making watermelon shapes at Hawthorn Early Years in VIC.
Grazing platters and cheese boards are not only delicious but also a fantastic way to get kids excited about sharing. Experiment with cheese-filled rice balls or ricotta fritters! Variety is key so gather your ingredients, roll up your sleeves, and let the cheesy fun begin.
This story was created to celebrate Healthy Bones Action Week, which runs from 12-18 August 2024. Childhood is the best opportunity to build strong bones for life, and peak bone density is reached around age 20-25.
Want to learn more?
Have fun with our dairy discovery word find that you can download and complete.
Kitchen Garden Program members can access our Dairy recipes collection on the Shared Table.
Get your bone burning questions answered by Dairy Australia, and interact with their many exciting resources.
Read up on our other tasty dairy tips:
Top tips for including dairy in lunchboxes
Dairy-packed Smoothies of the Imagination
And don’t forget to enter our Grazing Plates of the Imagination competition!
The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has partnered with Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) since 2019. SDA produces, markets and distributes many of the dairy brands you know and love like Caboolture, CHEER™, Cracker Barrel*, Devondale, Great Ocean Road, King Island Dairy, Liddells, Mersey Valley, MG Ingredients, Mil Lel, Sheese, South Cape, Sungold and Tasmanian Heritage.
*Cracker Barrel is a registered trademark of Lactalis Heritage Dairy used under licence.
The work of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is only made possible with the continued support of our partners, and we thank Saputo Dairy Australia for their commitment and generosity.
There are many ways your business or organisation can support our work. If you share our vision, we would like to hear from you!
Grazing plate photos for inspiration.
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