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Harvard University

Food for Thought

Food nourishes us, inspires us, and brings us together. We’re taking a deep dive into everything edible.

Reducing the amount of food that we waste by just a third could feed all the food-insecure people in this country.”

Emily Broad Leib

Director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School

Learn more about Emily and her work
A woman stands outside near steps and greenery

Anthony Jack

As a Graduate School of Education professor, Anthony’s research focuses on low-income undergraduates and explores food insecurity on college campuses.

Learn more about Anthony’s research

Nina Sayles

In a dual degree program with Harvard Chan School and the Graduate School of Design, Nina explored the intersection of community health and agriculture.

Learn more about Nina’s studies

Kit Parker

Along with other researchers at Harvard School of Engineering and Harvard Chan School, Kit found a way to package fresh foods that extends their shelf life and eliminates microbial contamination.

Learn more about Kit’s solution
Teaching science concepts through cooking

Cooking like a scientist

Graduate School of Education alum Kate Strangfeld started Bite Scized Education to engage secondary students in science. Her goal is to empower students to “think like a scientist” through food and cooking.

Resetting the table

This Peabody Museum exhibit explores food choices and eating habits in the United States, including the sometimes hidden but important ways in which our tables are shaped by cultural, historical, political, and technological influences.

Explore the exhibit

Home cooking

Harvard chefs

These members of the Harvard community are making waves in the culinary world. They’ve shared some of their favorite recipes, so get cooking!

Explore all the recipes

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Joanne Chang

Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

"Pastry Love," a cookbook by Harvard alum and Flour Bakery owner Joanne Chang, honors some of her decadent and delicious favorites.

See the recipe
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Nick DiGiovanni

Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

While at Harvard College, Nick DiGiovanni, who competed on MasterChef, created his own concentration in food and climate.

See the recipe
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Julia Child

Paul Child

Julia Child’s television series “The French Chef,” which first aired in 1963, launched a revolution in cooking and eating in the United States. Her papers are part of the collection at the Schlesinger Library.

See the recipe
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Andrew Urbanetti, Executive Chef, HUDS at Harvard Law School

Chef Andrew served this blue hubbard squash soup for World Food Day at Harvard Law School. Indigenous to Massachusetts, this blue hubbard squash recipe celebrates seasonal and local ingredients.

See the recipe
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Nisha Vora

Photo by Michael Marquand

Law School grad Nisha Vora left the legal life for vegan cooking.

See the recipe
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Ludger Wessels

Chef Wessels, a six-time American Culinary Federation competition award winner, is executive chef at Harvard University Dining Services. His specialties include regional German and French cuisine.

See the recipe

Harvard food groups

Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are researching, exploring, and experimenting with food and nutrition.

Harvard students help in food recovery and donation program

Food for free

In a typical week during the academic year, Harvard may donate up to 2,500 pounds of quality food to a local nonprofit focused on families in need.

Learn more about the program

A pancake is flipped in a pan

Science and cooking lecture series

The lectures pair Harvard professors with celebrated food experts and renowned chefs to showcase the science behind different culinary techniques.

Learn more about the series

Explore more of the food and nutrition organizations, exhibits, and clinics at Harvard.

Food Law and Policy Clinic

The Nutrition Source

Sustainable Food Systems Graduate Certificate

“Analogia I” at Harvard Art Museums

Harvard Farmers’ Market

Harvard Food Systems Initiative (HFSI)

Healthy Eating Plate

Historic Cookbooks at Schlesinger Library

Food Literacy Project

Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Harvard Chan School (HPRC)

Sustainable and Healthful Food Standards

Our culinary world

A woman lectures on stage with a slide reading "The African Kitchen" behind her

Preserving Africa’s culinary heritage

  • Harvard Divinity School

Savoring the biblical origins of Jewish food

hummus
  • Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Eating well … in space

An astronaut eats pasta while floating in the spacecraft
  • Graduate School of Design

A food park for the entire system of food cultivation and distribution

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  • Harvard Extension School

A more sustainable global supply chain

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Food in the news

A coordinated vision for food policy

Experts at Harvard Law School say that drafting a national strategy for food should be a major priority.
Read the article

Food insecurity and food deserts in the US

The Journalist's Resource explored studies that show the link between food insecurity and health.
Read the article

Food prices and inflation

Why are prices so high right now — and will they ever return to normal?
Read the article

Creating meat alternatives

Researchers have adapted rotary jet-spinning technology to spin muscle fiber out of vegetable proteins, simulating the texture of steak or pulled pork without using any animal products.
Read the article

Relocating farmland to cut carbon emissions

Researchers developed a map showing where the world’s major food crops could be relocated to maximize production and minimize environmental impact.
Read the article

Free meals for all students

What are the financial impacts of offering free lunches and breakfasts to all students?
Read the article

American foodways and the history of enslavement

At a Radcliffe event, Michael W. Twitty discussed the importance of including stories of the enslaved prominently in public history and historical interpretation.
Watch the video
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