Imagine the warm sun blanketing your shoulders, eyes scanning rows and rows of leafy green bushes for the prize of the day. You see pops of dusty lilac and you know you are getting close, but you aren’t quite there. You need to crouch down, tip toe over, and squeeze through the mazes of foliage until … Continued
Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries- OH MY! Pennsylvania’s freshest fruit and vegetables are ripe for the picking! This summer season brings opportunities to visit farms that are overflowing with vibrant colors and variety of freshly picked healthy choices to munch on for a quick snack on the go. Visiting farms that allow you to pick your own produce … Continued
Twelve pairs of eyes were staring at me with excitement and eagerness. Everyone was pining for the exclusive job of cracking an egg. The cookie recipe called for 2 eggs- you read that right- baking sugary cookies with ingredients I brought from home- it was a different time then! We has washed our hands, talked … Continued
Looking for recipes that follow CACFP guidelines? The USDA Team Nutrition offers recipes with serving sizes ranging from household to child care sizes 50-100. These recipes use fresh ingredients, whole grains and are lower in fat, sodium, and sugar. Programs that participate in a USDA nutrition program can request free copies of many of these … Continued
Photos courtesy of the National Farm to School Network On March 1, 2019, The National Farm to School Network started a series of blogposts that recognized the work that early learning sites are doing to ensure the children and families in their care have access to healthy, locally-sourced foods. One such blogpost focused on The … Continued
In 2016, The Food Trust and the Pennsylvania Head Start Association formed a task force with partners from all over the state of Pennsylvania to identify strategies for furthering farm to ECE practices in PA while doing so through a racial equity lens. The Ready Set Grow Report is available to see the goals and … Continued
Image Courtesy of fns.usda.gov Looking for ways to incorporate professional development opportunities in nutrition for your programs? The third Thursday of each month brings Thirty on Thursdays Training Webinars from the USDA’s Team Nutrition. These webinars focus on topics that relate to the CACFP Meal Pattern requirements. They are offered in both English (2-2:30PM) … Continued
Our March 21st blogpost (see here), asked the question, “Will a home-cooked meal solve all problems?” People are quick to say that cooking a good meal at home would make families healthier. However, they overlook the fact that not all families are created equal – they do not all have the same time and resources … Continued
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Moss You bought seeds and starter plants (did you know you can use your SNAP benefits for that purchase?), so now what? When do those seeds need to be started and transplanted? When should those starter plants be planted? The state of Pennsylvania lies within three growing zones (5, 6, and … Continued
In school, children love to celebrate holidays or birthdays with a class party. Most of the time, this means a lot of unhealthy junk food like cupcakes and juice boxes. Consider incorporating a new policy that would make these celebrations healthier. For example, if food is necessary for the party, require more of the provided … Continued