Intervention
At each intervention school, garden leadership committees were formed composed of interested stakeholders, such as teachers, parents, community members, school staff, and children. With the help of the committee members, gardens were built in every intervention school in the spring before the academic year, approximately 4 months before baseline measurements.Full-time experienced and trained nutrition and garden educators taught 18 one-hour Texas Sprouts lessons separately to each third to fifth grade class throughout the school year as part of their normal school day. The following are some of the broad nutrition concepts that were included in the curriculum: (1) healthy cooking and preparation of FV (ie, low in sugar and fat); (2) making nutritious food choices in different environments; (3) eating locally produced food; (4) low-sugar beverages made with fresh FV; (5) health benefits of FV; (6) how to eat healthfully in food desert neighborhoods (ie, neighborhoods lacking easy access to shops selling FV); and (7) food equity and community service. The curriculum also covered a broad range of horticultural and environmental education topics, including science process skills, observation, taking measurements, and problem-solving through both group and individual learning experiences. Every lesson included either a garden taste test (7 lessons) or a cooking activity (11 lessons). Every lesson also included sampling of different The control schools received a delayed intervention (identical intervention as described above) in the year after completion of the posttesting for that wave. Baseline and postintervention measurements occurred for the control parents and children within the same period as the intervention schools.