When asked about the summer meals program at FoodChain, Portia Lee says, “I’ve been surprised about what they like! Overall they’ve liked everything. Trying new dishes is good for them, because it will keep them open to trying new healthy foods later on. My son’s a vegetable kid, and he comes to eat here and loves it. He likes to try new things. Every time kids come, they ask for more!”
On today’s menu: stuffed bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, and yogurt with blueberries. FoodChain interns were also sharing samples from foods from around the world, baba ganoush and papusas among them.

FoodChain, a new summer meals sponsor this year, is not just working to make sure kids get access to a healthy meal — they’re empowering them to learn and make healthy choices for a lifetime. Leandra Forman, Kitchen Manager at FoodChain, sat down with KY Kids Eat to discuss their first summer participating in the Summer Meals program.

Access to Kentucky-grown produce is a key priority at FoodChain, a Lexington nonprofit working to forge links between the community and fresh food through education and demonstration of sustainable food systems. The Summer Meals program is an obvious fit for this organization, a nonprofit with deep roots within their community.

Summer meals are available on Mondays and Thursdays from 11:30-1:00 pm, and are coupled for many of the participating kids with cooking classes through a partnership with the West End Community Empowerment Project (WECEP). Enrichment programming that allows kids to engage further with local foods empowers them to take health into their own hands.

KY Kids Eat is pleased that K-VIP funding can support the efforts of FoodChain’s Summer Meals program.

“My favorite thing about this summer feeding food site is how creative and original the meals can be with simple produce,” said Lisa Manchin, FoodChain intern. “Also, building community around food.”