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Across California, School Food Professionals are operating farm to school programs that provide students with integrated food-based education and access to healthy, fresh food. Take Anna Nakamura Knight from Old Grove Orange. Her family has farmed citrus trees for five generations in Redlands, CA, and has partnered with School Food Professionals to support local students for two decades. Farm to school programs don’t just support students. They also support the farms and surrounding communities. For Anna, the large purchases schools made from her farm enabled her family to pay for her and her brother’s college education. Learn more about how farm to school programs benefit students, farmers and communities: https://lnkd.in/eJkAWZcJ

Harvest of the Month programs, like the one at Oxnard Union High School District, have a three-fold positive impact: they increase fresh produce in school meals, introduce students to new fruits and vegetables and they support local farms. Cafeteria Manager Elizabeth Mungia has seen the impact firsthand. Her students, who might otherwise be cautious of new vegetables, love the idea of produce like radishes, broccoli and persimmons coming straight from the garden to the tray. After all, as Elizabeth says, “It’s all fresh from the ground, and that’s what makes it taste so good.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/d6UBGXnu 

There’s a reason Stella Ndahura’s team is full of passionate and skilled professionals. Stella, Director of Nutrition Services at Azusa Unified School District, knows that cooking fresh, healthy meals that support student success isn’t just a one-person job. Her team of dietitians, chefs, menu planners and more are all key to creating nourishing meals that make sure students are better able to focus on the task at hand: learning. Learn more about how Stella and her team are cooking up better school food: https://lnkd.in/gYSF4xMw

As students head back to the classroom and cafeteria, we’re reflecting on some of the powerful ways that School Food Professionals help set kids up for success. By leading the charge for nourishing school meals, School Food Professionals are cooking up change by supporting students’ mental and physical wellbeing, helping them do better in school and learn healthy eating habits. Here’s how: ➡️ School breakfast has been linked with positive impacts on mental health, including reductions in anxiety and depression. ➡️ Students who participate in school breakfast programs have improved attendance, academic performance and academic achievement. ➡️ Students can learn healthier eating habits by being exposed to healthy foods in the cafeteria. Learn more about School Food Professionals’ work to improve California’s school food and support student success: https://lnkd.in/gyHn9J24

School Food Professionals have the power to support small businesses and the local economy by sourcing food locally. And that’s exactly what Executive Director of Nutrition Services Vince Caguin did in Sacramento, CA. When the pandemic hit, Vince decided to look for ways to support local farmers who were feeling the pandemic’s economic effects. In a win-win for both students and farmers, Natomas Unified School District partnered with Spork Food Hub, a hub for over 60 local family farms, to source fresh, local produce for the district’s 15,000 students. Now, the Sacramento school district sources 72% of their produce from local farmers! Learn how Vince’s mission to provide fresh produce to students also supports his community’s workforce: https://lnkd.in/eQtYSFTT 

Skilled School Food Professionals across California are helping set up kids for a lifetime of healthier eating habits. They’re introducing students to new cuisines, fruits and vegetables and doing so in a way that students love. Want their tricks of the trade? Read our latest Food for Thought for four tips to turn the foods kids need into the meals they want to eat — featuring Chef Carol Ramos at Azusa Unified School District, Farmer Anna Nakamura Knight at Old Grove Orange, Celeste Gonzalez at Oak Valley Union Elementary School District and Cook Vou Suafoa at Oxnard Union High School District. https://lnkd.in/gQdR_zVi

“On every tray, you can see the dietician’s healthy planning, the chef’s passion, the cooks’ homemade touches and the secretary’s insights into what kids enjoy.” - Stella Ndahura, Director of Nutrition Services, Azusa Unified School District It takes a village to plan, procure and cook up tasty and healthy school meals for students. Learn more about how Stella combines her team’s unique expertise and skills to run a successful school food program in Los Angeles County: https://lnkd.in/gYSF4xMw

It takes a special set of skills to be a School Food Professional. Cooking meals from scratch for thousands of students each day requires in-depth knowledge of menu planning, ingredient sourcing, kitchen management, a wide range of food preparation techniques, knife skills and more. This National Culinary Arts Month, we’re celebrating all the California School Food Professionals who are using their culinary expertise to cook up better school food for students across the state. Learn more about how School Food Professionals are cooking for change: www.schoolfoodpros.org

Did you know School Food Professionals continue to plan, procure and cook meals for California students throughout the summer? At school districts and partner sites across the state, California students can enjoy free meals throughout the summer. And it’s not just lunch! School Food Professionals are cooking fresher, healthier summer meals that range from breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks. Learn more about California’s free summer meal program or find a free summer meal site near you: https://lnkd.in/gaXuEEen

How do School Food Professionals plan, cook and serve good and good-for-you menus for hundreds of hungry students every school day? Esther Huizar’s recipe for success includes creativity with a big helping of preparation and coordination. As Cafeteria Manager for Oak Valley Union Elementary District in Tulare, CA, Esther has honed her menu-planning skills. Adapting kid-approved recipes to include healthier ingredients is one of her specialties. Take chicken quesadillas, for example. Esther and her team gave these a healthier spin by cooking with whole wheat tortillas, low-fat cheese, low-fat chicken and making homemade pico de gallo. Learn more about Esther’s approach to school menu planning: https://lnkd.in/e689u6iY