Seasonal Eating: Fall and Winter Produce

As kids enjoy the lazy days of summer, there’s no pause button for the brain. If you don’t keep your kids’ minds active, they could actually rewind a bit academically in what is known as the summer slide. What, exactly, is the summer slide? The summer slide is the academic setback kids sometimes experience over the long break from school. The seasonal vacation can allow the brain to forget the information learned and the skills gained during the previous school year when those skills aren’t being practiced or put to use. Just as our bodies need physical exercise to stay fit, our minds need mental exercise to stay stimulated and sharp. Research has shown that reading, math calculation, and other skills can be affected by summer learning loss. This past school year, the pandemic brought additional learning challenges for children as their routines were disrupted and they lost opportunities for engaging with […]

We know eating fruits and veggies can provide tons of health benefits and are an important part of a balanced diet. But why is it so important to “eat the rainbow?” Fruits and veggies are dense in phytochemicals and micronutrients – vitamins and minerals – that our bodies need to function properly and grow, but not all fruits and veggies are equal. Depending on the color, different nutrients may be more abundant in some fruits and veggies than in others. Let’s explore how eating the rainbow can provide our bodies with different nutrients and what they can do for us!   Red Orange/Yellow Green Blue/Purple White/Brown Examples Raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cranberries, and watermelon Oranges, orange bell peppers, carrots, mango, yellow bell peppers, yellow squash, lemons Leafy vegetables, broccoli, kale, kiwi, avocado, green grapes, cucumbers, peas, zucchini Blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, purple cabbage, purple grapes Bananas, cauliflower, ginger, […]