I have a list of 20 tropical rainforest foods and a fun acai bowl. And I have more ideas on my pages Rain Forest – Amazon and Rainforest Amazon Activities for Kids.
When exploring the tropical rainforest you can hardly forget the amazing and unique foods that come from there.
Besides, tropical rainforest foods are some of our favorite imported treats.
Some you may have already known come from there and others may surprise you.
Too, reading, internet research, a trip to the store or local market, and of course taste testing can all be part of a great study on tropical rainforest foods.
I have simple directions for a wonderful bowl that tastes like the rainforest with superfruits, nuts, and of course rich chocolate.
Acai Bowls have become very popular for good reasons.
Tropical Rainforest Foods Facts
First, look at some of these rainforest food facts.
- Each cacao pod can hold up to 60 beans, and it can take anywhere from 8-14 pods to make a single pound of cocoa.
- Acai is a staple food around the rainforest and is known as a superfood due to its high levels of vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, and anti-cancer properties.
- At least 80% of the developed world’s food is thought to have originated in the tropical rainforest.
- There are about 3000 fruits found in rainforests. In the US we use about 200 of them while the indigenous tribes make use of over 2000.
- The most popular food source for locals in the Amazon rainforest is Cecina (pork).
- In 2020 an estimated 20.2 million metric tons of bananas were exported from tropical rainforests.
- 40% of exported pineapples come from the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica.
- Tropical rainforest honey contains a much higher amount of beneficial enzymes, antioxidants & bioactive compounds than most honey found anywhere else.
Tropical Rainforest Foods-Hands-On Activities
Next, look at some of these tropical rainforest foods hands-on activities.
- Take a trip to the grocery store and try to identify as many foods as you can as those that come from the tropical rainforest, look for labels and stickers in the produce department to determine exactly where they come from.
- When you make your acai bowl, use Food Anatomy to look up tropical fruits, how chocolate is made, as well as seasonings and nuts that come from the rainforest.
- Poll a large group (Facebook is great for crowdsourcing) and graph their favorite rainforest food or how many of the various foods they have tried.
- Identify on a map or globe which tropical rainforest each food comes from.
- Hone in on our favorite tasty treat with the Chocolate Grows in The Rainforest Study.
Then, look at more foods to try.
10 More Tropical Rainforest Foods to Try
While today I have a delicious and simple acai bowl recipe for you to try, I also have 10 other recipes either made with exotic tropical rainforest foods or created with the rainforest theme.
- How Chocolate Is Made
- Rainforest Cookies
- Rainforest Dirt Pudding
- Rainforest Salad
- Pretzel Pop Snakes
- Crocodile Nutter Butters
- Banana Monkey Muffins
- Papaya Fruit Roll Ups
- Guava Dragonfruit Popsicles
- Rainforest Trail Mix
More Fun Food Activities
Then, look at some of these fun Amazon rainforest books.
16 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books & Resources
Add these rain forest animal books, games, and toys to round out your study of the animals of the rain forest.
This book explores the rainforest layer by layer and the creatures that make their home in each part of the rainforest.
Which rainforest animal is a frog that uses its eyes to help it swallow its food? Which rainforest animal is a bird with a big, colorful bill? Let's learn more about rainforest animals such as sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and more! Read With You's Who Am I? series encourages children to be more curious about the world around them as they learn fun facts about animals from across the globe.
Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series that includes Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Snow!Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world. Turn the pages of this beautiful and educational book to discover in words and mesmerizing illustration:
Animals like the slender parrot snake and the blue morpho butterfly.
The canopies where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call.
Capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms.
The rainforest is home to millions of plant and animal species. Some animals live high up in the trees, some crawl across the forest floor, and some tunnel underground, but they all depend on one another and the rain to survive. With colorful illustrations and fascinating diagrams from author-illustrator Kate Duke, In the Rainforest is a lively look at the most vibrant ecosystem on our planet.
This book introduces readers to the largest snake in the world: the anaconda. Readers learn about the life cycle, behavior, physical characteristics, and habitat of anacondas
Expanding the popular collection of animal books in the Learn to Draw Series, Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals will teach kids how easy it is to draw a variety of exciting and exotic creatures from around the world. Each project starts with a basic shape and progresses with simple-to-follow steps to a finished realistic final colored artwork. While they’re learning, kids will also discover fun facts about each featured animal.
Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page “For Creative Minds” educational section.
While it covers more than just the rainforest this is a fabulous resource to have on your shelves. You will find plenty of great pictures and information on many animals that live there- crocodiles, harpy eagles, monkeys, tapir , sloths,Jaguarundi, and the food web.
Tells a story of a man who came to cut down a kapok tree and encounters many of the beautiful and exotic native creatures who make their home in the Amazon Rainforest.
FUN FACTS: How about Reptiles versus Amphibians?! That's just one of the topic cards in this kids card game. Find out more fun facts from Eggs to the Komodo Dragon!
This bright and exciting Hello, World! board book teaches toddlers all about the amazing world of a rainforest—with easy-to-understand facts about the incredible animals who make their home there.
Human beings have inhabited the banks of the Amazon River since 13,000 BC and yet they make up just a small percentage of the "population" of this geographic wonderland. The Amazon River basin teems with life—animal and plant alike.
Compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest! Carefully select what grows in your forest, and give rise to a thriving ecosystem.
Vampire bats and killer ants? That's what Jack and Annie are about to run into when the Magic Tree House whisks them away to the Amazon River. It's not long before they get hopelessly lost. Will they be able to find their way back to the tree house? Or are Jack and Annie stuck forever in the rain forest?
NatureI n a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers.
Explores the richness of the Amazon rainforest, how humans have damaged it, and efforts being taken to protect it. Clear text, vibrant photos, and helpful infographics make this book an accessible and engaging read.
Additionally, look at these 20 tropical rainforest foods.
Here is a list of over 20 tropical rainforest foods.
Many are part of our everyday lives; I think most of us would be lost without that morning cup of coffee.
Or cinnamon, pepper, and vanilla to season our dishes with. Did you know that pineapples are thought to have originated in the Amazon rainforest?
- Avocado
- Bananas
- Black Pepper
- Brazil nuts
- Cashews
- Cassava
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Coconuts
- Coffee
- Cocoa
- Dragon fruit
- Figs
- Mango
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Plantains
- Quinoa
- Star fruit
- Sweet potatoes
- Turmeric
- Vanilla
- Yams
More Rainforest Activities for Kids
- 7 Cool Rainforest Science Activities and Create Rainforest Floor Slime
- 10 Plant Life in The Amazon Rainforest Facts and Make a Fun Rafflesia Arnoldii
- Fun Easy Amazon Rainforest Crafts and Make a Bubble Wrap Pattern Anaconda
- Learn About Mammals In The Amazon Rainforest & Make an Adorable Sloth Craft
- Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft
- Amazon Rainforest Predators and Make a Fun Pasta Emerald Tree Boa
- Creating Fun Red Eyed Tree Frog Manipulatives for Rain Forest Math
- Cute Colorful Toilet Paper Roll Rainforest Frogs for a Rainforest Frog Craft
- 18 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Fun Resources
- Beautiful And Colorful Amazonian Rainforest Animals Lapbook For Kids
- 100+ Best and Free Tropical Amazon Rainforest Educators Resources
- The Ultimate Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the Amazon Rain Forest
- 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids
- Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
- 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
- Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
- Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
Finally, look how to make this acai bowl.
Tropical Rainforest Foods – Acai Bowl Recipe
Pick up several tasty tropical items from the grocery store and try them individually.
Then try creating a popular acai bowl at home to enjoy the taste of the rainforest for breakfast or as a pick-me-up at midday while you learn all about the wonderful tropical rainforest foods.
You will need:
- Frozen Acai
- Dried Coconut
- Bananas
- Cashews
- Chocolate
Beyond the acai, you can swap out the ingredients listed in my recipe for YOUR favorites.
Look at the list above and create your favorite bowl with tropical fruits and nuts.
The only acai I could find at my grocery store was the little frozen packets shown in the photo above, they are pre portioned out and according to my package directions were to be partially thawed and blended with ½ cup liquid and ½ a banana.
What you find may be different, follow your package directions to get the right consistency for your base.
Once you blend up your acai base, pour it into a bowl.
Chop your chocolate…
And nuts…
Slice the bananas.
Sprinkle or arrange your favorite toppings and enjoy!
