Introduction:
Experiential learning in STEM education strengthens students’ ability to connect theoretical scientific concepts with real‑world challenges. This module used whole vegetable plants to explore sustainability through applied scientific reasoning.
Methods:
In a university-level food‑science course, students were provided with whole plants (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and Brussels sprouts) and developed recipes using all edible components to minimize waste. Structured prompts guided analysis of plant morphology, agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and the typical mass of waste produced during commercial trimming and household preparation. Students then developed and cooked one or more recipes that used as much of the plant as possible. Learning was assessed through recipe‑development reasoning, recipe preparation, and peer/instructor feedback during tastings.
Results:
Students successfully developed and prepared dishes that incorporated plant components that are not traditionally used in household cooking and demonstrated creative strategies to reduce food waste. They clearly articulated common sources of waste in plant processing and explained how agricultural inputs influence environmental outcomes. Class presentations showed increased confidence in using scientific reasoning to make resource‑efficient culinary decisions, even without prior culinary training. During in‑class tastings, students engaged in evidence‑based discussion about ingredient functionality, preparation choices, and the overall feasibility of their dishes.
Conclusions:
This module illustrates that culinary exploration using nearly the entire plant can effectively support experiential STEM learning in sustainability. The activity enabled students to apply scientific reasoning, evaluate real‑world sources of food waste, and make resource‑efficient decisions during recipe development. This experiential module offers a scalable approach that can be adapted to different resource contexts for integrating sustainability concepts into secondary through university-level STEM curricula.
