Somerville Farm to School Project

March is National Nutrition Month!  Each year the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics develops new topics to celebrate National Nutrition Month. This year's theme, Put your best fork forward, encourages us to consider that every bite counts. Even "small shifts in our food choices, can add up over time." Here in Somerville we are celebrating National Nutrition Month in a few ways. ~ We are releasing Veggie of the Month kits in each school's library! The kits contain books, taste testing supplies, and a binder with lesson materials for each month!  ~ We are visiting a few PreK-2nd grade classes to "taste-test" the veggie of the month: leafy greens!  In the classroom, we are reading Sylvia's Spinach and making a simple salad dressing to drizzle over spinach! (Be sure to check back later for the results of our visits!)   ~  Our  Wellness Champions and Farm to School Staff are posting bulletin boards and fliers around the schools! ...

As our National Nutrition Month Event, we held kale chip taste tests in all our K-8 school cafeterias. For the full story visit the post . If you would like to try the kale chips at home, use this yummy recipe. Bunches of curly kale Ingredients 8 cups kale, ripped into 3 inch pieces (~1 bunch) 1 tbsp   vegetable oil 1/8 – 1/4 tsp salt Preparation 1.   Preheat oven to 350 o 2.   Wash and pat dry kale. For best results, kale must be very dry. 3.   Remove kale from center stem and rip into 3 inch pieces. 4.   Add oil and salt. Massage the oil and salt into the kale until the kale pieces are evenly coated. 5.   Lay kale pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet; ideally the pieces are not touching. 6. Bake for 3-5 minutes. Checking regularly to make sure chips aren't burning. Make sure to dry your kale well! Gentle massage the oil and salt into the kale.   Do not overlap your kale pieces. Check them regular...

Back at the beginning of March, we gave you a sneak peek about how Somerville planned on celebrating National Nutrition month. We focused on 5, which is 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. This year, one of our goals for National Nutrition Month was to expose students to healthy and delicious ways to eat their veggies. We accomplished this goal by taste testing kale chips in 6 different cafeterias. The kale chips are a great snack because they are crunchy and a little bit salty, just like regular potato chips, but with a lot more nutritional value. Kale has tons of vitamin A, vitamin K and some calcium too! Some students compared the taste of kale chips to the taste of other vegetables they are more familiar with, including broccoli, spinach, and lettuce. Students were able to vote on whether they would try the kale chips again. Giving students the chance to decide whether or not they liked the chips encourages them to continue to try new foods: no one l...

March is National Nutrition Month! This year's theme is focus on 5 - that's 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. National Nutrition Month bulletin board, Winter Hill School It's a no brainer that most kids love fruit, but some might find vegetables harder to like, especially those dark leafy greens, like kale. We took on this challenge by introducing the students to kale chips. When baked with a little salt, kale becomes crunchy with a slight umami flavor. Check back with us for the full recipe. Bunches of curly kale Kale chips  David Heidkamp, Framingham Nutrition Intern, and Meghan Bodo, Food Literacy Educator, washed, ripped, massaged and baked the kale for our first tasting in the Winter Hill School cafeteria. After eating their lunch, students stopped by the tasting table for a sample. David and Meghan are ready to serve kale chips! Taste, then vote! What did the students think? This delicious and healthy sna...

Our National Nutrition Month festivities continued last week at the Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park! Students continue to LOVE the veggie dip with 57% of the students trying the dip and 83% voting that they would eat the dip again! A special thank you to Argenziano parents for volunteering with us at this event and UMass Extension Team Nutrition for their continued collaboration. Results from previous taste tests can be found at the links below: Arthur D. Healey School East Somerville Community School Winter Hill Community Innovation School Contents provided by Karyn Novakowski, PEP Grant Nutrition Education Coordinator.

On Wednesday, April 1 the Winter Hill Community Innovation School was treated to a lunchtime visit by Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Superintendent of Schools Tony Pierantozzi. The Mayor and Superintendent were at the Winter Hill attending one of our National Nutrition Month Celebrations, which included joining students during lunch period and taking part in a taste test . In a speech to the students, both the Mayor and the Superintendent reminded students about the importance of eating fresh foods and whole grains. They emphasized that food is the fuel that gives our bodies energy to be physically active and stay fit. The Mayor challenged the students to be ambassadors for health in their own lives, encouraging friends and family members to "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle."  Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi addressing Winter Hill students.   Mayor Joseph Curtatone reminding students to be ambassadors for health. The Mayor and Superintende...

Over the past few weeks, we've been celebrating National Nutrition Month at our Elementary Schools. We've held taste tests during lunch and students are loving the veggies and dip! Newsletters and magazines have gone home with students so that they can share ideas with their families. Here we share five tips for eating well with your family:   Content provided by Karyn Novakowski, PEP Grant Nutrition Education Coordinator.      

During our National Nutrition Month celebrations we are featuring a savory Veggie Yogurt Dip (recipe adapted from Shared Appetite ). The dip itself contains carrots, spinach, kale and red pepper. Paired with red, green and yellow peppers it is definitely a "Go Snack"! Remember "Go Snacks and Salads" are snacks or salads that contain red, yellow and green (colors in a traffic light). When you see these three colors together on your plate, you know that you have created a healthy, nutrient packed meal.  Veggie Yogurt Dip   We paired our dip with tri-colored peppers but you can use cucumbers, carrots, or celery. We hope you try this recipe with your family! Veggie Yogurt Dip Recipe Ingredients 1 17 oz container Greek yogurt 3 tbsp. mayonnaise 1 tbsp. agave nectar (or honey) 1/2 cup kale, chopped 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced 1/2 cup carrot, grated 3 garlic...

This week we begin a series of National Nutrition Month celebrations with an event at each of our bronze award winning  HealthierUS Schools Challenge  schools: Arthur D. Healey School Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School East Somerville Community School John F. Kennedy Elementary School West Somerville Neighborhood School Winter Hill Community Innovation School National Nutrition Month, celebrated annually in March, is a campaign brought to us by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics . The theme for 2015 is "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle," which encourages students and families to make informed choices about food choices and daily exercise. Here in Somerville, our schools are celebrating with a cafeteria taste test! We will be sampling a "Go Snack & Salad." "Go Snacks and Salads" are snacks or salads that contain red, yellow and green (colors in a traffic light). When you see these three colors together on your plate, you know that you have...