Healthy Eating Program
Crossroads Farmers Market transforms healthy eating into an interactive adventure with its Healthy Eating Program. Shoppers of all backgrounds are invited to explore the vibrant world of unfamiliar fruits and vegetables through visually engaging food demos. Led by bilingual chefs – including staff from community partners as well as market farmers and Crossroads’ Community Ambassadors – these demonstrations showcase market produce, and instructors incorporate culturally appropriate ingredients and methods, further reducing barriers to healthy eating for our community. Participants can ask questions, sample dishes, and receive recipes, bridging the gap between buying and preparing healthy meals.
The program further fosters a welcoming environment by hosting school field trips, where students embark on a farm-to-fork learning journey through a range of art, puzzle, and fruit and vegetable tasting activities. Additionally, plant and seed giveaways encourage participants to cultivate their own healthy produce at home.
“I think that eating healthy is very important because it helps keep your body running smoothly.”
“The green burritos tasted so, so good–I am going to make them at my house!”
Recent Statistics:
# of elementary school students that have cooked or gardened with us since 2010: 1,687
# of green burritos made in our program, to date: over 1,200!
# of Crossroads members that own a green smoothie costume: 1