Starting with Carrots

Knowing where to begin can be overwhelming. When teaching educators about creating food committees, (who create the nutrition policy), I always tell them to start with Carrots. That is the book Do Carrots Make You See Better? (Appleton, McCrea, Patterson). Chapter 5 will get you started and lead you through the basic process; they even provide a management process for food issues in early childhood services that is so great, I wish I had written it myself.

Okay, so you know about carrots—now we need to talk about the carrot seeds. Where do you find the “seeds” that will grow into the members of your committee? This group should include the chef in charge of your food program—or the person who is responsible for writing and executing the menus. It should also include parents, teachers, a garden educator, a culinary arts educator, administrators, farmers, produce vendors, and children (yes! I mean young children) because they often have really good ideas that we should include in the creative process.