On Friday, March 1, we worked together with the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition and Aramark Food Service Director, Josh Brochu, at Narragansett Elementary School to bring a new and delicious way of learning and healthy eating to this Rhode Island school community.
Students and parents who wanted to learn more were invited to take part in a local produce Cafeteria Taste Test — a fun and effective way to encourage young people to try new foods. Studies have shown that frequent exposure to vegetables and unfamiliar foods encourages children to make healthier eating choices.
Narragansett Elementary parent extraordinaire, Shannon Matson, helped serve samples of local roasted butternut squash from Manheim Farm, apples from Lyman Orchards, and potatoes from Ferolbink Farm to students in all five lunch periods. Students who tasted the sample provided feedback about the recipe. Here’s what some said:
“I’ve never tried squash before, but I liked it!”
“The squash was a 30 or 40, the apples and potatoes are a 100.”
“I like the roasty flavor.”
