Somerville Farm to School Project

by Hannah Macfarlane, Farm to School Summer Intern & Tufts Nutrition Graduate Student This summer, for the fourth year in a row, the SomervilleFarm to School Project ran the Healthy Summer Harvest program at the Capuano school. Every Wednesday for four weeks we visited the school for cooking classes and taste tests with students in the Summer Explore Kindergarten Transition Program . We tried lots of new food and had so much fun with our new friends! Chef Vanessa from Project Bread led the cooking demonstrations and Hannah, our Farm to School summer intern, chatted with the kids about the foods they were tasting. She was very impressed that some of them already knew that calcium is found in milk! Students were encouraged to try new foods and learned about plants, cooking, and nutrition. Each week featured a different recipe: Week 1 – Gingerbread yogurt dip with strawberries and apple slices Week 2 – Moroccan carrot salad Week 3 – “Green Monstah” smoothie We

Although students are out of school for the summer, it is still a great time to  create conversations surrounding food literacy!  By purchasing whole, nutrient-dense foods, our young learners will be best prepared to return to the classroom in just a few short weeks with sharp minds and healthy bodies!  Certain foods are particularly effective in improving brain function! Here's a list of the best brain booster foods youth and adults can enjoy to restore brain function and improve memory! Thank you to  Ira Toyota Danvers in Danvers, MA  who made this cool infographic as part of their community wellness initiative!  For more information on Brain Boosting foods, please visit   Eat Right's  article: "4 types of Foods to Help Boost Your Memory".  Do you have a summer nutrition education program in your school or community that provides brain booster foods?  Do you have other brain booster foods not listed here?