Charlie Cart
Nutrition Education
Helena Food Share joined the Charlie Cart Project in 2018 through a grant from the City of Helena. Today, food education and the Charlie Cart are pillars of our nutrition initiative. The cart is an all-in-one kitchen on wheels with a full curriculum that includes classroom-tested recipes—connecting the dots between food, health, and the environment. Helena Food Share is part of the 260-program Charlie Cart network, including K-12 schools, universities, museums, hospitals, libraries, food pantries, and even farmer’s markets.
- Customers: Enjoy food samples while you shop and take home recipes to recreate these delicious and healthy foods. We also invite you to share your comments. Food demos take place regularly in the Market, featuring affordable food found in the Market and Montana Harvest of the Month products.
- Volunteers: If you like to bake or cook and want to offer your skills to demonstrate that healthy food can be easy to fix and taste good, come share your skills at the Charlie Cart in the Helena Food Share Market.
- Montana Harvest of the Month items: Montana grown products—Apples, Beef, Beets, Bison, Brassicas, Carrots, Cherries, Chickpeas, Dairy, Grains, Herbs, Kale, Leafy Greens, Lentils, Potatoes, and Summer & Winter Squash, are featured in nutritious recipes each month.
- The Charlie Cart in Schools: The cart travels to area schools with Harvest of the Month Coordinator Kim Lloyd from St. Peter’s Health. Kim teaches kids about nutrition, food and has them help make recipes using Harvest of the Month foods.
Charlie Cart demo in the Market
Charlie Cart demo at Bryant Elem.
Charlie Cart hands-on learning
Email from a mom: “My son is a second-grade student at Jim Darcy. He came home the other day and excitedly told us he got to make the yummiest nachos at the Charlie Cart! I would LOVE the recipe of what you used if you wouldn’t mind sharing. He is a picky eater, so when he told me the beans were tasty, I was surprised!” The Lentil Nachos recipe can be found here.
2025-26 Demonstrations:
- Demonstrations in the Grocery Share Market: 12:30-2:30
- April 3rd – Pasta Fredda (Savory Spice of the Month)
- April 7th – Brownies with Chickpeas
- Spring 2026 School Demonstrations – Kim Lloyd from St. Peter’s Health will share lessons and demos at these elementary schools:
- April 27th-May 1st – Jefferson Elementary
- May 4-May 8th – Warren Elementary
- May 18th-May 22nd – Bryant Elementary
- May 26th-May 29th – Smith Elementary
- June 22nd-June 26th – SACC @ Central Elementary
View our Calendar for demo details and other events.
