Effects of a School-Based Gardening, Cooking, and Nutrition Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial on Unprocessed and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption.

BACKGROUND: School-based gardening and nutrition education interventions report improvements in dietary intake, notably through fruit and vegetables. However, gardening, cooking, and nutrition randomized controlled trials are limited in evaluating dietary quality, and none have examined processed food consumption to date. OBJECTIVES: The study examined the effects of Texas Sprouts (TX Sprouts), a gardening, cooking, and nutrition education intervention, compared with control on unprocessed and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in predominately low-income Hispanic children. METHODS: TX Sprouts was a school-based cluster randomized controlled trial that consisted of 16 elementary schools randomly assigned to either the TX Sprouts intervention (n = 8 schools) or control (delayed intervention; n = 8 schools) over 3 y (2016-2019). TX Sprouts schools received an outdoor teaching garden and 18 1-h lessons taught by trained educators throughout the school year. Dietary intake data via 2 24-h dietary recalls were collected on a random subsample (n = 468) at baseline and postintervention. All foods and beverages were categorized using the NOVA food classification system (e.g., unprocessed, processed, ultra-processed). Generalized linear mixed effects modeling tested changes in percent calories and grams of NOVA groups between the intervention and control estimates with schools as random clusters. RESULTS: Of the sample, 63% participated in the free and reduced-price lunch program, and 57% were Hispanic, followed by non-Hispanic White (21%) and non-Hispanic Black (12%). The intervention, compared to the control, resulted in an increase in consumption of unprocessed foods (2.3% compared with -1.8% g; P < 0.01) and a decrease in UPF (-2.4% compared with 1.4% g; P = 0.04). In addition, Hispanic children in the intervention group had an increase in unprocessed food consumption and a decrease in UPF consumption compared to non-Hispanic children (-3.4% compared with 1.5% g; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Study results suggest that school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition education interventions can improve dietary intake, specifically increasing unprocessed food consumption and decreasing UPF consumption. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02668744.

School Gardening and Health and Well-Being of School-Aged Children: A Realist Synthesis.

School environments can create healthy settings to foster children's health and well-being. School gardening is gaining popularity as an intervention for healthier eating and increased physical activity. We used a systematic realist approach to investigate how school gardens improve health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children, why, and in what circumstances. The context and mechanisms of the specific school gardening interventions (n = 24) leading to positive health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children were assessed. The impetus of many interventions was to increase fruit and vegetable intake and address the prevention of childhood obesity. Most interventions were conducted at primary schools with participating children in Grades 2 through 6. Types of positive outcomes included increased fruit and vegetable consumption, dietary fiber and vitamins A and C, improved body mass index, and improved well-being of children. Key mechanisms included embedding nutrition-based and garden-based education in the curriculum; experiential learning opportunities; family engagement and participation; authority figure engagement; cultural context; use of multi-prong approaches; and reinforcement of activities during implementation. This review shows that a combination of mechanisms works mutually through school gardening programs leading to improved health and well-being outcomes for school-aged children.

Effects of a School-Based Nutrition, Gardening, and Cooking Intervention on Metabolic Parameters in High-risk Youth: A Secondary Analysis of a Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Although school-based gardening programs for children have consistently been shown to improve dietary behaviors, no cluster randomized clinical trial (RCT) has evaluated the effects of a school-based gardening intervention on metabolic outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention (Texas Sprouts) on changes in metabolic outcomes in elementary schoolchildren. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study was a secondary analysis of a cluster RCT, conducted over 3 years from 2016 to 2019, at low-income elementary schools with majority Hispanic students in the greater Austin, Texas, area. Data were analyzed from January to August 2022. Interventions: Texas Sprouts was 1 school year long (9 months) and consisted of (1) Garden Leadership Committee formation; (2) a 0.25-acre outdoor teaching garden; (3) 18 student gardening, nutrition, and cooking lessons taught by trained educators throughout the school year; and (4) 9 monthly parent lessons. The delayed intervention was implemented the following academic year and received an identical intervention. Main Outcomes and Measures: The following measures were obtained at baseline and postintervention (9 months): demographics via survey; measured height, weight, and body mass index parameters; and glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and a lipid panel via an optional fasting blood draw. Results: Sixteen elementary schools were randomly assigned to either Texas Sprouts intervention (8 schools) or to delayed intervention (control, 8 schools). A total of 3302 children (aged 7-12 years) were enrolled in Texas Sprouts, and fasting blood samples were obtained from 1104 children (or 33% of those enrolled) at baseline. The final analytic sample included 695 children (307 boys [44.17%]; mean [SE] age, 9.28 [0.04] years; 480 Hispanic children [69.02%]; 452 [65.03%] eligible for free or reduced lunch) with complete demographic data and baseline and postintervention (9-month) fasting blood draws. Compared with control schools, children from Texas Sprouts schools had a 0.02% reduction in mean hemoglobin A1c (95% CI, 0.03%-0.14%; P = .005) and a 6.40 mg/dL reduction in mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (95% CI, 3.82-8.97 mg/dL; P = .048). There were no intervention effects on glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, or other lipid parameters. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cluster RCT, Texas Sprouts improved glucose control and reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in high-risk youth. These findings suggest that elementary schools should incorporate garden-based interventions as a way to improve metabolic parameters in children. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02668744.

The Association Between Home or Community Garden Access and Adolescent Health.

Little is known about the influence of home or community garden (HCG) access on adolescent health. The objective of this study was to determine the association between adolescent self-rated health, nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and intake with HCG access. Urban high school students (n = 401) completed a questionnaire prior to a nutrition education intervention. Point biserial correlations and one-way analyses of variance evaluated garden access and health variables. Garden access differed by race ( P < .001), and students with HCG access consumed more vegetables than students who did not ( P = .003) and rated themselves as healthier ( P = .034). Findings suggest that garden access is associated with higher adolescent vegetable consumption and higher self-rated health. Future research should investigate adolescent levels of engagement in HCGs.

Sustainability via Active Garden Education: The Sustainability Action Plan Model and Process.

Sustainability of intervention programming is challenging to achieve under real world conditions, since few models exist and many studies do not plan far beyond the funding period. Programming content in early care and education centers (ECECs) is often driven by guidelines. However, implementation is very sensitive to contextual factors, such as the setting and implementer (teacher) characteristics. This paper presents the model, definitions, and methodology used for the sustainability action plan capitalizing on a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, developed for a multi-site, multi-level garden-based childhood obesity prevention study, Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE). The Ecologic Model of Obesity is applied to develop a sustainability action plan (SAP) and accompanying measures to link early care and education (ECE) environment, the community, policies, and classroom practices to an early childhood obesity prevention program. The SAGE SAP provides an example of how to iteratively evaluate and refine sustainability processes for an obesity prevention intervention utilizing CBPR approaches and will be applied to assess the sustainability of SAGE in a cluster randomized controlled trial. This SAP model can also help inform intervention delivery and scalability within ECECs.

Developing and Evaluating Newsletters for Parent Engagement in Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE).

Physical activity and nutrition preschool programming must involve parents in positive long-term healthy habits. This paper describes parent outreach in the Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE) study. Newsletters were sent home with children to promote family opportunities to increase physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. The content was generated via a community advisory board participatory process. Messages linked SAGE curriculum topics with home and community activities. Parents rated frequency of receipt, helpfulness, satisfaction, and use of content. Most participants were Hispanic (>78%) and women (>95%). Most reported receiving newsletters; nearly all reported that they were helpful. Favorite newsletter components included recipes, pictures of their children and seasonal produce spotlights. Most reported doing physical activities from the newsletters (51.9%). Few reported doing featured physical activity (8.9%) and fruit and vegetable (12.7%) community activities. Newsletter outreach methods are a simple strategy to add value to preschool-based interventions promoting healthy families.

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow: A case study of a Chicago community-based organization focused on health education through school gardens.

Nutrition education through school-based garden programs is a promising intervention to promote youth health and development. Gardeneers is a Chicago-based nonprofit, leading garden programming across area schools. To better understand their impact on youth health, Gardeneers aimed to define their model more clearly. Using a collective case study design, this mixed-method, formative program evaluation focused on describing program implementation variation across schools. General program design included nutrition education through hands-on garden-based learning. Stakeholder engagement was a strength for some schools and a challenge for others. Sustainability was an ongoing challenge for all schools, particularly funding. Priority student outcomes also varied between schools. Adaptability is core to Gardeneers' approach-the challenge lies in replicable program design and manageable growth, but the strength lies in the ability to meet specific school and student needs. Using these findings, Gardeneers refined their program model and identified program improvements opportunities.

Impact of Child Interaction With Food Preparation on Vegetable Preferences: A Farm-Based Education Approach.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the impact of child involvement in vegetable preparation on vegetable preference and attitudes toward eating vegetables. DESIGN: Pre-post mixed-methods. SETTING: Food and Farming Camp at a nonprofit urban farm in Sunnyvale, California. PARTICIPANTS: Camp participants aged 8-10 years (n = 34 girls, n = 12 boys), and aged 11-14 years (n = 19 girls, n = 4 boys). INTERVENTIONS: Involvement in vegetable preparation through harvesting, cutting, cooking, and seasoning before consumption. Interviews identified camper perception of vegetable preference and involvement in preparation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in vegetable preference from baseline with and without involvement in vegetable preparation. Attitudes toward involvement in vegetable preparation. ANALYSIS: Adjustment of preferences to baseline followed by tests of hypotheses to identify differences with involvement. Thematic, qualitative coding to identify prevalent themes within interview responses. RESULTS: Younger campers preferred vegetables they prepared (P < 0.05), except for carrots. Campers were more likely to choose vegetables they prepared (P < 0.05). Campers of both age groups were curious to try their vegetable creations and described feelings of pride and responsibility related to preparing vegetables. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Involvement with food preparation, in particular in a garden-based setting, may provide an accessible method to improve child vegetable preference.

School Garden Benefits: Health Promotion and Environmental Conservation.

Garden-based learning promotes environmental awareness, health, and wellness across the school community and beyond. In this article, we review the literature on the benefits of school gardening and describe firsthand experiences for garden success. By sharing lessons learned, our aim is to inspire school nurses to join forces with like-minded teachers and staff or take the lead to build capacity in their school for gardening and a green culture dedicated to the conservation of natural resources.

Impact of a School-Based Gardening, Cooking, Nutrition Intervention on Diet Intake and Quality: The TX Sprouts Randomized Controlled Trial.

School gardens have become common school-based health promotion strategies to enhance dietary behaviors in the United States. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of TX Sprouts, a one-year school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition cluster randomized controlled trial, on students' dietary intake and quality. Eight schools were randomly assigned to the TX Sprouts intervention and eight schools to control (i.e., delayed intervention) over three years (2016-2019). The intervention arm received: formation and training of Garden Leadership Committees; a 0.25-acre outdoor teaching garden; 18 student lessons including gardening, nutrition, and cooking activities, taught weekly in the teaching garden during school hours; and nine parent lessons, taught monthly. Dietary intake data via two 24 h dietary recalls (24 hDR) were collected on a random subsample (n = 468). Dietary quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015). The intervention group compared to control resulted in a modest increase in protein intake as a percentage of total energy (0.4% vs. -0.3%, p = 0.021) and in HEI-2015 total vegetables component scores (+4% vs. -2%, p = 0.003). When stratified by ethnicity/race, non-Hispanic children had a significant increase in HEI-2015 total vegetable scores in the intervention group compared to the control group (+4% vs. -8%, p = 0.026). Both the intervention and control groups increased added sugar intake; however, to a lesser extent within the intervention group (0.3 vs. 2.6 g/day, p = 0.050). School-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition interventions can result in significant improvements in dietary intake. Further research on ways to scale and sustain nutrition education programs in schools is warranted. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02668744).

Southwest Harvest for Health: An Adapted Mentored Vegetable Gardening Intervention for Cancer Survivors.

Harvest for Health is a home-based vegetable gardening intervention that pairs cancer survivors with Master Gardeners from the Cooperative Extension System. Initially developed and tested in Alabama, the program was adapted for the different climate, growing conditions, and population in New Mexico. This paper chronicles the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of "Southwest Harvest for Health". During the nine-month single-arm trial, 30 cancer survivor-Master Gardener dyads worked together to establish and maintain three seasonal gardens. Primary outcomes were accrual, retention, and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes were vegetable and fruit (V and F) intake, physical activity, and quality of life. Recruitment was diverse and robust, with 30 survivors of various cancers, aged 50-83, roughly one-third minority, and two-thirds females enrolled in just 60 days. Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retention to the nine-month study was 100%, 93% reported "good-to-excellent" satisfaction, and 87% "would do it again." A median increase of 1.2 servings of V and F/day was documented. The adapted home-based vegetable gardening program was feasible, well-received, and resulted in increased V and F consumption among adult cancer survivors. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this program and to inform strategies to increase the successful implementation and further dissemination of this intervention.

School-based gardening, cooking and nutrition intervention increased vegetable intake but did not reduce BMI: Texas sprouts - a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although school garden programs have been shown to improve dietary behaviors, there has not been a cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted to examine the effects of school garden programs on obesity or other health outcomes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a one-year school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention (called Texas Sprouts) on dietary intake, obesity outcomes, and blood pressure in elementary school children. METHODS: This study was a school-based cluster RCT with 16 elementary schools that were randomly assigned to either the Texas Sprouts intervention (n = 8 schools) or to control (delayed intervention, n = 8 schools). The intervention was one school year long (9 months) and consisted of: a) Garden Leadership Committee formation; b) a 0.25-acre outdoor teaching garden; c) 18 student gardening, nutrition, and cooking lessons taught by trained educators throughout the school-year; and d) nine monthly parent lessons. The delayed intervention was implemented the following academic year and received the same protocol as the intervention arm. Child outcomes measured were anthropometrics (i.e., BMI parameters, waist circumference, and body fat percentage via bioelectrical impedance), blood pressure, and dietary intake (i.e., vegetable, fruit, and sugar sweetened beverages) via survey. Data were analyzed with complete cases and with imputations at random. Generalized weighted linear mixed models were used to test the intervention effects and to account for clustering effect of sampling by school. RESULTS: A total of 3135 children were enrolled in the study (intervention n = 1412, 45%). Average age was 9.2 years, 64% Hispanic, 47% male, and 69% eligible for free and reduced lunch. The intervention compared to control resulted in increased vegetable intake (+ 0.48 vs. + 0.04 frequency/day, p = 0.02). There were no effects of the intervention compared to control on fruit intake, sugar sweetened beverages, any of the obesity measures or blood pressure. CONCLUSION: While this school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking program did not reduce obesity markers or blood pressure, it did result in increased vegetable intake. It is possible that a longer and more sustained effect of increased vegetable intake is needed to lead to reductions in obesity markers and blood pressure. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER: NCT02668744 .

"Sow, Grow, Know, and Show": The Impact of School Gardens on Student Self-Perception in the Mississippi Delta.

This research evaluates the impact of participation in school garden programs on fifth grade student garden knowledge, self-perception, and standardized test scores in the Mississippi Delta. We collected pre and posttest participant data for two years, compared garden participants' standardized test scores with non-participants, and conducted participant observation and interviews in three school gardens for eight months during the 2017-2018 school year. While no effect on standardized test scores could be determined, students increased garden knowledge and reported feeling positive about their future, teamwork, and leadership ability. These results were supported by observations of student joy, confidence, leadership, and teamwork.

Joy of gardening: a hospital-based cooking and gardening program.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition interventions aid in implementing healthy eating. Garden-enhanced nutrition intervention programs have been conducted in schools. We sought to assess feasibility of a hospital-based cooking and gardening program. METHODS: The cohort study implemented a 3-week integrated cooking and gardening program in the United States (Seattle, WA). We recruited participants with ages 8-15 years from ambulatory clinics. We conducted three 3-week series hospital-based cooking and gardening program. Children and parents were given pre- and post-program (1 year) surveys. The surveys assessed child participation in food preparation and gardening, strengths and weaknesses of the program, and identified parents' opinions towards sustaining healthy behaviors. RESULTS: Eighteen children participated in the hospital-based cooking and gardening program. At 1-year follow-up, 78% of participants were gardening at home and 100% of participants were cooking at home. CONCLUSIONS: Novel approaches to combat obesity are needed. A hospital-based cooking and gardening program is a novel intervention to consider for nutrition education.

A botanic garden as a tool to combine public perception of nature and life-science investigations on native/exotic plants interactions with local pollinators.

Life-sciences are pointing towards an alarming worldwide pollinator decline. This decline proceeds along with overall biodiversity losses, even in the context of urban landscapes and human welfare. At the same time, social-sciences are arguing an increased distance from nature, experienced by citizens. The strong connection between the public good and pollinator sustainability, even in urban areas, is well-documented. However, usually basic and applied life-sciences tend to underestimate public perception of nature, which is better tackled by the fields of social-sciences. Therefore, more efforts are needed to link scientific questions and public 'perception' of nature. We designed a transversal project where research questions directly confront public concerns: i.e., even while addressing scientific knowledge gaps, our questions directly arise from public concerns. Social studies highlighted that appreciation of (exotic) plants is related to the impact they may have on the surrounding natural environment: therefore, we investigated links of native and exotic flowers to local pollinators. Other studies highlighted that scientific results need to link to everyday individual experience: therefore, we investigated pollination modes of the renown Salvia, native and exotic, largely used in cuisine and gardening. The botanic garden was the promoter of scientific questions addressed by the public, and also collated the results in a travelling exhibition. The exhibition, together with a dedicated catalogue, were especially designed to enlighten the wide public on the relationships that plants, native and exotic alike, establish with the surrounding world.

Cultural Connectedness as Obesity Prevention: Indigenous Youth Perspectives on Feast for the Future.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a community-based obesity-prevention initiative that promoted cultural connectedness and traditional food revitalization and gained insight into youth participants' perspectives on the program through a photovoice methodology. METHODS: Photovoice methods were used with fourth- and fifth-grade youths (aged 9-11 years) in the US Southwest who had participated in the Feast for the Future program. A total of 44 youths from 3 communities met for 8-9 sessions; they took photos of current food environments and traditional food systems, and discussed them as well as Feast for the Future and hopes for the future, and then prepared a final presentation. Photovoice sessions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, then open coded using Atlas.ti. RESULTS: Five common themes emerged: traditional food is farmed or gardened, traditional foods are healthy, Feast for the Future supported positive connections to culture, hope for more farming or gardening for future generations, and store or less nutrient-dense food is unhealthy. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Photovoice can be an effective way to engage Indigenous youths in conversations about their culture and food environments. The findings suggest that attention to revitalizing traditional food systems and supporting cultural connectedness may be an effective approach to obesity prevention in tribal communities, although future research would be needed to assess the impact of the intervention on obesity rates.

Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM): protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a Homestead Food Production programme on undernutrition in rural Bangladesh.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic undernutrition affects over 150 million children worldwide and has serious consequences. The causes are complex and include insufficient dietary diversity and poor hygiene practices. Systematic reviews of nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions concluded that while these hold promise, there is insufficient evidence for their impact on child growth. The Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) project is a 1:1 cluster-randomised trial aiming to evaluate the impact of a Homestead Food Production (HFP) programme implemented by Helen Keller International on women's and children's undernutrition. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The HFP intervention comprises training of women's groups and asset distribution to support year-round home gardening, poultry rearing and improved nutrition and hygiene practices. Formal trainings are supplemented by behaviour change communication during household visits, and facilitated links between producer groups and market actors. The FAARM trial will examine if and how this complex intervention reduces undernutrition. In 2015, FAARM enrolled married women and their children (0-3 years) in 96 rural settlements of Habiganj district in Sylhet division, Bangladesh. Covariate-constrained randomisation was used to assign 48 settlements to receive a 3-year HFP intervention, with the other 48 acting as controls, targeting over 2700 women. To study impact pathways, a surveillance system collects data on all participants every 2 months. In late 2019, children 0-3 years of age (born during the intervention period) will be surveyed, thus capturing impact during the critical first 1000 days of life. Children's length/height-for-age z-scores will be compared between intervention and control arms using mixed-effects linear regression. Secondary outcomes include women's and children's micronutrient status, dietary intake, dietary diversity and other indicators of child growth, development and morbidity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was received in Bangladesh and Germany. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations in Bangladesh and internationally. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02505711; Pre-results.

A Nationwide Snapshot of the Predictors of and Barriers to School Garden Success.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the degree and predictors of and barriers to school garden integration (termed success). DESIGN: A 30-item online survey consisting of demographic, garden characteristic, and barrier questions, as well as the School Garden Integration Scale, was conducted in 266 school garden organizations (13 national, 8 regional, and 245 state or local). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 414 school gardeners from 38 states and Puerto Rico. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: School garden success using the GREEN Tool. ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were used to determine the degree of success of school garden programs and explore barriers. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine independent predictors of school garden success. RESULTS: The average score was 37 (range 1-53, of a possible 57 points), indicating moderate success. Operating budget (P < .001), operating time (P < .05), and planting in-ground (P < .01) had a positive significant influence on success score, whereas rural location (P < .01) and lacking community interest (P < .01) had a negative significant influence, controlling for race/ethnicity, region, total garden investment, and Community Need Index score (a proxy for socioeconomic status). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Results indicate that success of school garden programs may be more difficult for the schools located in a rural area or in the absence of school or community-at-large interest. This study found that race/ethnicity of students and socioeconomic status are not related to success score, which is promising as other research indicates that successful school gardens may be especially impactful for low-income people of color. Causal research is needed to identify strategies that increase school garden success, with a focus on engaging key stakeholders (administrators, teachers, parents, the community at large, and garden coordinators).

Effect and process evaluation of a real-world school garden program on vegetable consumption and its determinants in primary schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a school garden program on children's vegetable consumption and determinants and to gain insight into the process of the program. METHODS: The "Taste Garden" is a real-world nine-week school garden program developed and implemented by a local organization. A total of 350 children (149 intervention group, 201 control group) filled out questionnaires on vegetable consumption, determinants and process of the program. Additionally, teachers filled out a process evaluation questionnaire. For effect evaluation, interaction effects (time x group) were considered, using multilevel repeated measures analyses in MLwiN 3.02. Interaction effects were repeated, taking into account quality of implementation (time x implementation group). Process evaluation was descriptively assessed with SPSS 24.0. RESULTS: Overall, beside some practical concerns of teachers, the program was well perceived by teachers and children. However, an intervention effect of "The Taste Garden" was only found for knowledge (p = 0.02), with a very small effect size (0.55%). When taking into account implementation quality, only small effects were found for awareness (p between 0.005 and 0.007 and an effect size of 0.63%) and knowledge (p between 0.04 and 0.09 and an effect size of 0.65%). CCONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of the real-world "Taste Garden" program, which was positively perceived by teachers, showed no effects on vegetable consumption and small effects on its determinants. Adaptations of the current format and longer follow-up periods are therefore recommended.