Healthy Starts at Persimmon

Meals, Education, Empowerment: Persimmon Early Learning’s Recipe for Equity

Despite its reputation for natural beauty and affluence, Boulder County faces a quiet but pressing crisis: food insecurity. According to Feeding America, about 1 in 10 children in the county (10.3%) live in food-insecure households.

This issue is fueled by the high cost of living and a widening gap between federal poverty guidelines and the income needed to meet basic needs, leaving many families struggling to afford healthy, nourishing food.

Recognizing this need, Persimmon Early Learning (PEL) has built a nutrition program that ensures children receive healthy meals daily and supports families facing food insecurity, many of whom earn too much for federal aid but not enough to afford living in Boulder.

A Commitment to Healthy Nutrition

PEL’s Nutrition Program is built on the belief that good nutrition is essential to healthy childhood development. With dedicated nutrition and wellness staff, Persimmon offers much more than basic meal service.

Meals and snacks are freshly prepared on-site, emphasizing whole foods and minimizing processed ingredients.

As a Breastfeeding Friendly and HEAL-certified program, PEL follows health-focused practices from infancy onward. Nutritious, kid-approved favorites like Blueberry Beet Muffins and Red Cabbage Quinoa Wraps give children hands-on experiences with healthy eating.

"I was really impressed by the range of nutritious foods the kids were eating like pureed spinach with hummus and pita." Persimmon Parent - Tarah Wolf

PEL’s approach to nutrition education is both age-appropriate and engaging. Nutrition lessons are held twice a week in every classroom, emphasizing exploration through gardening, cooking projects, taste tests, and farmer visits. These experiences help children understand where food comes from and build lifelong positive relationships with fruits and vegetables.

"When my son was struggling with solid foods, the infant room teachers really stepped in. They made nutrition a priority, offering a wide variety of healthy options to spark his interest. They updated me daily on what he ate, what he enjoyed, and what didn’t work. They completely tailored their approach to his needs." – Persimmon Parent - Tarah Wolf

The children also get their hands dirty in PEL’s on-site gardens, planting seeds in the spring and harvesting in the fall. These gardens not only produce healthy food but serve as sensory learning spaces for infants and toddlers. By being part of the growing process, children are more inclined to try new, healthy foods -  a key strategy in building long-term healthy habits.

Supporting Families Beyond the Classroom

Nutritious food remains out of reach for many Boulder families. While programs like SNAP and WIC offer support, recent cuts and strict income limits leave many ineligible or under-supported. According to the Boulder Food Rescue – Report on Food Access in Boulder, even families who do qualify often run out of benefits before the month ends.

This is where PEL makes a meaningful difference. By offering healthy meals at school and sending food home, Persimmon helps bridge the gap left by limited assistance programs. Through partnerships with Farm to ECE, Growing Gardens, Boulder Food Rescue, and Rudi’s Rocky Mountain Bakery, PEL gives families consistent access to fresh, local produce and baked goods—making community-based support both reliable and essential.

Persimmon Early Learning’s Nutrition Program serves as both a model for integrating nutrition into early education and a vital lifeline that nourishes children, supports families, and strengthens the foundation for a healthier, more equitable community.

Learn more about how Persimmon’s Wellness Program is making a difference, and consider a donation to support its growth.