Image is of a bowl of ful made by FEEST Staff Hanan!
Some months start with a grocery list. Others start with a memory, a smell, a spice tin that has followed someone through homes and seasons. This year’s meal kits have moved with the weather and with the realities of what winter asks of us: make it nourishing, make it doable, make it something you can share.
Back in October, we leaned into the fullness of fall with a squash curry. It was the kind of meal that asks you to slow down a little. Peeling, chopping, letting things simmer. The ingredients felt close to the land, and the process reminded us that food takes time, care, and people to bring it together.
By November, things opened up. Our “fancy ramen” gave folks space to play, to build something personal out of something familiar. With support from our friends at Salima’s Specialties, who provided to-go dry pho-style ramen bowls, we started with a base and let it expand from there. Greens, herbs, toppings, different combinations across kitchens. It became less about getting it “right” and more about making it your own.
👉 Learn more about Salima’s Specialties and their work here
When January came around, the energy shifted again. Winter called for something easier, something steady. A sheet pan meal with roasted vegetables, tofu, and grains. Everything in one place, into the oven, out when it’s ready. It met people where they were, and sometimes that’s exactly what nourishment looks like.
And now March brings us here!
This month’s meal kit centers Ethiopian-style ful, shared by FEEST’s own Hanan. Fava beans simmer slowly with garlic, cumin, tomatoes, and berbere, building flavor over time. The beans soften and hold everything together, while fresh toppings like onion, tomato, and herbs bring brightness and texture. On the side, grapefruit juice cut fresh adds a sharp, refreshing contrast.
It’s a meal that invites you to gather. To scoop, to share, to sit a little longer than you planned. It carries the kind of warmth that doesn’t just come from heat, but from memory, from care, and from the act of making something together
🌱 Did You Know?
Fava Beans & Ful
Fava beans are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world, grown for thousands of years across the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. They thrive in cooler climates and are known for giving nutrients back to the soil, leaving the land better than they found it.
Ful has been shared across Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt for generations, often as a breakfast or communal meal. In Ethiopia, it’s typically served warm with bread and topped with fresh ingredients like onions, tomatoes, and herbs. It’s a dish that has moved across regions through trade, migration, and community, shaped by the people who continue to cook it.
What makes ful powerful is its accessibility. Built from pantry staples like beans, spices, and oil, it reflects how communities have long created nourishing, flavorful meals with what’s available. It’s a dish shaped by trade routes, migration, and cultural exchange, carrying generations of knowledge in every variation.
Image is of a pot of Ful, made by FEEST Student Organizer Addison!
Across these months, the meals have changed, but the questions stay close. Where does our food come from? Who grew it? Who has access to it, and who doesn’t?
At FEEST, food justice is not separate from the rest of our work. It’s directly connected to how young people experience school every day. When students have access to food that feels familiar, nourishing, and culturally relevant, it impacts more than just hunger. It shapes how they feel in their bodies, in their classrooms, and in their communities.
Food is political. Who grows our food, who harvests it, who transports it, and who gets access to it are all shaped by power. From labor conditions to global supply chains to the wars and policies that disrupt access to food, these systems show up in everyday meals.
And when we return to the kitchen, to the table, to the act of cooking together, we return to those same starting points. A smell, a memory, a spice tin passed between hands. From there, something bigger always has the chance to grow.
Show FEEST some love!
Youth are in the lead at FEEST because we know that change is not effective unless those most impacted by health inequities are the decision makers. Support youth leadership by donating today, OR sign up for our newsletter to get the latest from FEEST!