In the much-anticipated Season Two Opener, Barb welcomes the founder of the Food Literacy Center, Amber Stott to her kitchen table.

Passionate about fruits and veggies, Amber grew up cooking and growing her own food, a joy she wants every child to experience.

In 2011, Amber responded to the rising childhood obesity crisis by starting the nonprofit Food Literacy Center to inspire children to eat their vegetables. The nonprofit does this by teaching cooking and nutrition classes to elementary kids in low-income schools, helping them develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Amber uniquely understands the audience she’s serving and designed a behavior change model to meet the needs of those at highest risk for diet-related disease. Within just two months of food literacy classes, the nonprofit changes kids’ attitudes towards healthy foods—the first step towards long-term behavior change.

Honors for Amber include being named one of Sacramento’s most powerful business leaders by Sacramento Magazine, Food Revolution Hero by Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, one of Food Tank’s 20 Innovators Protecting the Planet and one of their 17 Food Heroes to Inspire Us in 2017, Outstanding Woman Leader by the National Association of Women Business Owners, and a TEDx Sacramento Fellow. View her TEDx Talk here.

In this episode, Amber mentions:

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall

Longer Tables Podcast

Hidden Brain Podcast

Amber's Recipe

Sunflower Seed Butter & Seasonal Fruit Sandwich

Kids love peanut butter sandwiches! This recipe shows kids how to begin to add a fruit or veggie to every snack or meal, a routine we encourage them to practice every day. We ask kids to make a small shift in this beloved recipe by adding fruit instead of jelly. Kids might balk at first, because change is scary. But once they follow the recipe to make the whole sandwich, most kids start wiggling in their seats, asking to eat what they’ve just made. 

Ingredients: 

3 cups unroasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Note: do not use roasted sunflower seeds, because their moisture has been released through the roasting process.

Instructions:

Add sunflower seeds to food processor with sugar and salt. Process for 8 to 10 minutes, until oils release from the seeds and a smooth butter begins to form. Add olive oil and process for 1 minute more.

Serve immediately. Will keep in an airtight container for a few weeks.

Disclaimer: *The opinions of this guest on the Food Stories podcast are entirely their own and the information is NOT intended as medical advice, nor is it intended to replace the care of a qualified health care professional. This content is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. Always consult with your primary care physician or licensed healthcare provider for all diagnosis and treatment of any diseases or conditions, for medications or medical advice as well as before changing your healthcare regimen.