Ravalli Head Start is participating in Montana Harvest of the Month!!
Each month, our preschool along with other participating centers, K-12 schools, and healthcare facilitates throughout Montana will showcase one locally or Montana grown or raised food by
a) serving it in a meal or snack,
b) offering taste tests to children, and
c) doing educational activities.
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The two primary goals for this program are to expose students to new, healthy foods and to support Montana’s farmers and ranchers.
May Food of the Month
May is a celebration of both chickpeas and lentils for Harvest of the Month!
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Chickpeas: Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, have been enjoyed as a nutritious food source for 7,000 years. The name chickpea comes from their similarity of appearance to a chick’s beak. Like other legumes, chickpeas have root nodules that fix nitrogen, which helps to improve the soil. This bushy plant varies in height from 8 inches to 3 feet and grows best in dry climates. Each pod contains 1-3 chickpeas.
Most chickpeas are beige in color, but this can vary to include black, red, yellow, and green.
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Kabuli (larger and most common in the U.S.) and desi (smaller) are the main varieties of chickpeas grown. Chickpeas are available as whole chickpeas either cooked and canned or dry and uncooked, as well as in processed forms such as pasta, flour, etc.
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Lentils: Could you guess that the lentil was one of the first crops cultivated by humans? Today, Montana is the top producer of lentils in the United States, producing nearly 40% of the lentils grown in the United States on 140,000 acres. Lentils are available in many varieties such as red, French Green, and Black Beluga® so you can eat a lentil rainbow! Like other legumes, lentils add nitrogen to the soil, improving soil health. This makes them a good rotational crop with wheat and other grains.
These little gems are healthy for human bodies too! They are an excellent source of fiber and a good source of potassium, protein, iron, and vitamin B6. Gram for gram, lentils provide more potassium than bananas, more iron than ground beef, and have more antioxidants than blueberries! Lentils are very versatile and can be added to soups, salads, wraps, and even baked goods as a puree.
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Check out MontanaFarmToSchool for more fun facts.
Menú
Menú Hamilton
Menú Hamilton
Menú Valle Norte
La leche se sirve con el desayuno y el almuerzo todos los dÃas.
(leche entera para niños de 1 a 2 años, leche al 1% para niños de 2 a 3 años, leche descremada para niños de 3 a 5 años)
WG= Grano entero o rico en grano entero
El agua se sirve a pedido durante todo el dÃa.
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El menú está sujeto a cambios sin previo aviso.
Ravalli Head Start, Inc. y USDA son proveedores y empleadores que ofrecen igualdad de oportunidades.