Eat Well, Live Free: California Food Literacy Center & Butternut Squash Tacos!

The California Food Literacy Center is a phenomenal new organization whose objective is to educate our community about healthy food choices, the environmental impact of our food system and our local community contribution to the food we eat. The Center involves students, teachers, parents and the local agricultural community to teach these issues. They are currently working in an under-served and low income school in Oak Park, Sacramento teaching children how to read labels, and introducing them to wonderful winter vegetables such as broccoli.

According to their website, 38 percent of California children are overweight — a rate three times higher than 30 years ago, when the obesity epidemic began.

The work of the California Food Literacy Center is critical to the education and health of our community, especially our children. In a society where there are dedicated aisles to “health foods” in select super markets, it is imperative that people know what they are eating and where it comes from.

I am truly honored to serve on the Board of this organization and I encourage you to go their website if you are interested in volunteering, donating, or sponsoring a program.

Amber Stott, our founder, understands that many low-income neighborhoods are “food deserts,” where fresh produce and grocery stores are hard to find, yet fast food and processed foods are readily available. This makes cooking more difficult. Research shows that processed food is taking a toll on our health–and the health of our planet. It is part of the organization’s mission to celebrate healthy food, and they have been committed to creating recipes for their website that reflect cuisines from a range of cultures. In fact, one of their recipes for Chinese New Year salad was featured in the Sacramento Bee. I am excited to contribute some Mexican recipes to add to the international flavors.

These vibrant, rustic tacos are a nutritious and inexpensive alternative to Taco Bell. The local corn tortillas (not gluten free…) are soft and have the full flavor of fresh ground corn. The squash is par-cooked then sauteed with basic spices to seal in the freshness and flavor, providing a meaty replacement to ground beef or steak. Served on a layer of kale and the fatty avocado, the completed tacos are nutritious and filling. For $11.00, I bought all of the fresh organic ingredients at the local co-op.

Recipe here.