Each month the Cambridge
in Motion team sends a flyer with fun facts and a family newsletter to celebrate the Mass Farm to School partnership. We hope your family enjoys the fun and learning opportunities within!



This month we are learning about carrots! Enjoy the fun resources, recipes, lessons and activities that keep your family exploring and thriving!


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Fun Carrot Facts!
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Carrots were first grown as medicine, not food, for an assortment of ailments.

Baby carrots are not a type of carrot. They started with a California farmer who did not want to throw out blemished carrots so he started cutting and peeling the carrots to make them appear perfect.

This orange vegetable comes in other colors as well, such as white, yellow, red, and purple.

You actually get MORE beta carotene from carrots by cooking them! Cooking carrots softens the cell walls, and makes it easier for our bodies to digest and absorb this valuable nutrient, which our bodies then turn into Vitamin A!

Carrot seeds are so small that about 2,000 seeds can fit in a teaspoon. These seeds are harvested from the tiny white flowers that grow above ground (carrots themselves are the root part of the plant and grow underground).
Videos & Family Learning!
(1) Purple or Orange, Which Color Came First? Watch this quick 1 minute video from True Food TV and find out which carrot color really did come first!

(2) Root Fruit Slaw Activity: Try this activity as a family! Cook a healthy and delicious slaw together, ask the guiding questions and follow the action steps to learn about root vegetables and cooking essentials!

(3) How Do Carrots Grow? Watch this 4 minute video and learn how farmers grow and harvest carrots so that we can enjoy them at home!
For At-Home or Classroom Learning!
(1) Experiment with Carrot Roots: Learn how, as a root, a carrot draws water up through itself for the rest of the plant with just a glass of water, a carrot and some food coloring! If you like this activity, go to the Carrot Museum website for more fun science learning with carrots!

(3) What Do You Know About Carrots? Check out this great acivity for 4th & 5th graders. Learn the history of carrot advertisements and try to tease out the truth and fiction, then make your own truthful ad for carrots!
How Exactly are Carrots Good for Eyes?
Carrots are a great source of Beta Carotene, which our bodies then turn into Vitamin A. Vitamin A works by helping the eye convert light into a signal that can be sent to the brain, allowing us to see when there is low light. In addition, the cornea (the clear front of the eye) can literally disappear if the body does not get enough vitamin A, resulting in blindness. Beta carotene works together with lutein (loo-teen) and zeaxanthin (zea-zan-thin) to protect our eye health, so eat up your cooked carrots, spinach, kale, collard greens and eggs to get all these nutrients and keep your eyes healthy for the whole life span!
Delicious Recipes!
Try these Garam Masala Carrots for a new twist on a classic roasted carrot!

Try this classic Oven Roasted Carrot recipe for a bright and tasty side dish.

Try this Ginger Carrot Soup with Roasted Vegetables for a filling and colorful lunch or dinner this week!

Try these Carrot Muffins and have a quick to-go breakfast ready!

Try this Carrot Hummus to change up your spreads game, great on sandwiches and wraps or as a dip!

Did you know the carrot greens are edible too? Check out these recipes from the Carrot Museum and eat those carrot greens up too!
Children's Book Spotlight

A Place at the Table

Written by Saadia Faruqi
and Laura Shovan

For grades 5-7

"A timely, accessible, and beautifully written story exploring themes of food, friendship, family and what it means to belong, featuring sixth graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl taking a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara’s mom."
Click Here to download our Harvest of the Month Family Newsletter!
Cambridge Public Health Department

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