The Sprouting Change project addresses food insecurity and nutritional literacy while discussing key components of living a sustainable life. This is a joint initiative with Gibson D. Lewis Library and the Office of Sustainability at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.
The goal is to support community members, especially those in areas without access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables in North Texas. Project participants build the capacity to make informed nutritional choices that support sustainable practice and are given sprouting kits to grow fresh, nutritious food in almost every living situation.
Educational Materials
The educational content incorporates quality health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other reputable sources. The educational materials and programing cover the following topics:
Nutrition
- Healthy Eating
- Food Groups/Balanced Meals
- Portion Size
- Nutrition Literacy/Reading Food Labels
- Food Myths
Sustainability & Food
- Sustainability
- Food Waste
- Preparing Meals Ahead
- Extending Life of Food
- Composting 101
Gardening
- Container Gardening
- Growing in North Texas/Planting Seasons
- Sprouts Growing Kit
- Microgreen Growing Kit
- Recipes
Growing Kits
Educational materials also come with a sprouting jar kit or a microgreen growing kit. There are several benefits related to food insecurity, individual health, and contributions to sustainability. These include:
- generating enthusiasm around growing food
- low-cost, low-time commitment
- children who grow their own fruits and vegetables are more likely to eat them
- increase the amount of fresh vegetables eaten in a household
- access to affordable fresh nutritious food
- locally grown food decreases carbon footprint
Resources
Downloads
Sprouting Change
Educational content in English about nutrition, gardening, and sustainability.
Cambio De Brotación
Educational content in Spanish about nutrition, gardening, and sustainability.
Extending Food Life
Supplementary quick guide about extending the life of food through proper storage.
Presentation Slides
Complete set of educational slides about Sprouting Change project.
Videos
Learn how to grow your own nutritious sprouts in a jar at home. Follow along with the growing kit provided or create your own with seeds, a jar, and a lid/cheese cloth.
Learn how to prepare two delicious recipes using sprouts.
Details how to properly store food in the fridge, freezer, counter, and pantry to extend the life of food and reduce food waste.
Composting is a great way to use food scrapes in an environmentally friendly way. This video will detail how composting works and how to build a compost pile in your own backyard.
Details how to grow edible plants in small spaces using 1 gallon, 2 gallons, and 5 gallons containers.
Local Organizations
Find local resources that support a sustainable lifestyle including community gardens, farms, composting, and sustainability education.
Find More Sprouting Materials
Additional materials such as seeds and hemp mats can be found at partnering locations.
If your organization would like to host additional materials, or if you are having trouble locating materials, please contact us.
Partner With Us
We would love to partner with other organizations to share these educational materials and growing kits with more of our community. We offer educational classes on the content for free and are willing to come out any day of the week. Printed materials will be limited, but if you would like to purchase more copies, we can help arrange production.
Grant Statement
This project was supported by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UG4LM012345. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.