October Nutrition Newsletter
October 01st, 2026
Si desean leer el boletín en español, hagan clic aquí.
In this issue:
• October is National Farm to School Month
• National School Lunch Week is October 12-16
• Farm to School Spotlight: Dickinson Family Farms and CreamCo Meats
• Vote For New Menu Items
• Harvest of the Month – Cantaloupe
• Menu Spotlight: Barbacoa Tacos
• Job & career opportunities
October is National Farm To School Month
October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate the connections happening all over the country between children and local food.
Vista Unified has been a leader in Farm to School in San Diego and across the country, and we’re thrilled to build on that reputation. Each year in October, schools, early childhood education sites, farms, communities, and organizations across the country and U.S. Territories join in the celebrations.
In 2010, the National Farm to School Network advocated for the creation of National Farm to School Month by Congress and now organizes the annual celebration with hundreds of partner organizations across the country.
What Is Farm to School?
The National Farm to School program emphasizes three main practices for schools:
• Sourcing more food locally to bring in the freshest foods AND support local businesses.
• Conducting nutrition education so that students learn how to develop healthy food habits and knowledge
• Supporting school gardens to help students learn where their food comes from.
One of the best ways to support the Farm to School work we already do is to have your children eat more school meals! The more meals that we can serve, the more resources we have to work with local, California-based farmers to bring in even more fresh, seasonal foods grown as close to our schools as possible.
For more information, visit the Farm to School website and learn more about the history and ongoing work to make Farm to School available in every school.
National School Lunch Week is October 12-16
October has a lot to celebrate!
Since 1962, when President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW), this annual observance has promoted the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has both in and out of the classroom.
In fact, the national school lunch program serves meals to over 50% of the country’s school-age population every day! And not only do school meals meet nutritional needs, but a Syracuse University study shows that increases in school lunch participation (ie – more kids eating school meals) improve academic performance in both math and language skills.
Take The School Lunch Quiz
Test your knowledge of the impact of school lunches with this fun and quick quiz. See if you can correctly answer things like:
• What percentage of nutrition needs do most children get from school meals?
• How are students involved in planning school meals?
• What nutritional requirements do school meals need to meet?
There are ten questions in this quiz, and you’ll learn plenty about the ways that school meals impact children’s health and learning.
More school meals = more local foods
The school food program can be a virtuous cycle. We work to bring as many fresh, seasonal California foods to our cafeterias every day. And the more meals students enjoy, the more we have to invest in even more local foods.
So help us celebrate National School Lunch Week every day as we expand our offerings and service.
Farm to School Spotlight:
Dickinson Family Farms and CreamCo Meats
The first pillar of Farm to School is sourcing local foods, and we continue to work with local California farms, bakeries, and food producers to offer the freshest, healthiest foods around.
Dickinson Family Farms: Based in Fallbrook, this farm is owned and operated by fourth-generation family farmers who apply organic, sustainable, and regenerative practices to grow their food. They also work with a variety of other farms in the area to distribute those farms’ crops to customers, including WaveCrest Cafe.
Food at Dickinson Family Farms is hand-picked and hand-sorted. They do not use machines to sort and grade their fruit, relying instead on the expertise and experience of their team to see the difference between good fruit and marginal fruit.
CreamCo Meats: While much of Farm to School is focused on farmers growing produce (fruits & vegetables), we also work to find local California protein sources. One of those is Cream Co Meats, located in the Bay Area, which supplies our delicious burger patties.
Cream Co’s mission is, “To revolutionize a highly commoditized industry by creating new opportunities for people to enjoy animal proteins responsibly.” Founded in 2016, Cream Co Meats distributes, directly markets, and invests in over 20 sustainable, regenerative, and family-owned farms.
Vote For New Menu Items
We’ve put together a quick, 2-minute poll to get your feedback on the possibility of new menu items for the Spring 2027 Menu (which starts in January 2027), and into the future.
Items include choices for:
• Breakfast entrees
• Pizza toppings
• New lunch options
Your voice matters! Be sure to vote today. The poll closes on October 15th.
October Harvest of the Month
Featured Food: Cantaloupe
October’s Harvest of the Month is cantaloupe from Dickinson Family Farms in nearby Fallbrook. Cantaloupe is a melon with a mild, sweet flavor and is very juicy, making it a great source of hydration.
It belongs to the gourd family along with watermelon, squash, zucchini, and pumpkins. These foods grow on vines above the ground, and when they are ready to be picked, the stem separates from the fruit.
Cantaloupe Facts
California produces about 75% of all the cantaloupes consumed in the United States, and the growing season generally runs from April through December.
Cantaloupe takes between 75 and 85 days to grow once planted from seed.
Cantaloupe can weigh anywhere from 1 to 8 lbs., depending on the variety. The largest cantaloupe on record grew to a whopping 63 lbs., which is the weight of an average 4th grader!
Cantaloupe Nutrition Information
• Cantaloupe is almost 90% water, which makes it a wonderful source of hydration, especially in hotter months.
• Cantaloupe is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
• Cantaloupe also contains folate, calcium, and fiber.
• Cantaloupe’s vitamins and nutrients are beneficial for vision due to its beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin content.
• The high level of vitamin C also helps skin because of its higher levels of collagen.
Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about cantaloupe with your class during a Harvest of the Month activity. Harvest of the Month is available for any classroom that wants to participate. If you’re a teacher, signing up for Harvest of the Month is easy! For more information about the program, classroom tasting parties, and more, email Aleeza Hendershot.
MENU SPOTLIGHT: Barbacoa Tacos
October 6th is National Taco Day, so we are going to spotlight our delicious new Barbacoa Tacos.
These delicious tacos are filled with smoky barbacoa beef, a tender, flavor-packed foundation for these new favorites. Choose from a variety of fresh toppings, including seasonal veggies and our acclaimed homemade salsa.
Be sure to check your school’s menu for the full selection of items and your daily favorites.
*** Menus are subject to change based on ingredient availability and staffing needs.
National Food Days in October
10/6: National Taco Day & National Noodle Day
10/7: Pumpkin Seed Day – Try our pumpkin bread! And if you’re looking for a fun and tasty family activity around Halloween, check out this recipe for honey roasted pumpkin seeds. Our Pumpkin Bread contains pumpkin seeds, which are good for gut health.
10/11: Sausage Pizza Day – try our Meat Lovers Pizza this fall!
10/12: National Farmers Day – we love our farmers!
10/15: National Shawarma Day
10/17: Pasta Day – Our Fall menu has multiple pasta dishes, including Chicken Alfredo (also available without chicken), Mac and Cheese, and BBQ Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese.
10/20: Chicken & Waffles Day
10/21: Apple Day
10/24: Food Day
10/26: Pumpkin Day
10/28: Chocolate Day
10/29: Oatmeal Day
10/30: Breadstick Day
We’re Hiring!
Join Our Amazing Team.
School nutrition is an extremely rewarding job. You can be part of the nation’s largest restaurant group, serving tasty and nutritious meals to our children each and every day. What’s more, you’ll meet amazing people who are skilled, dedicated, and passionate about their roles.
Our team has the unique opportunity to interact with almost every student, every day. Those interactions make a big difference in our kids’ lives and lead to long-lasting and meaningful friendships.
See all of our available positions here: https://wavecrestcafe.com/employment-opportunities/
Follow us on social media:
(C) 2026 WaveCrest Cafe / Vista Unified School District
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of
the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
(2) Fax: 202-690-7442
(3) E-mail: [email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Declaración de no discriminación de USDA De conformidad con la ley federal de derechos civiles, y las regulaciones y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés), el USDA, sus agencias, oficinas y empleados, y las instituciones que participan en los programas del USDA o los administran, tienen prohibido discriminar basándose en la raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, identidad de género (incluida la expresión de género), orientación sexual, discapacidad, edad, estado civil, estado familiar/parental, ingresos derivados de un programa de asistencia pública o ideología política, y tomar represalias por actividad previa sobre derechos civiles, en cualquier programa o actividad dirigida o financiada por el USDA (no todas las bases aplican a todos los programas). Las fechas límite de la presentación de quejas y recursos legales varían según el programa o incidente.
Las personas con discapacidades que requieren medios de comunicación alternativos para recibir información sobre el programa (por ejemplo, Braille, letra grande, cinta de audio, lengua de señas estadounidense, etcétera) deben contactar la agencia responsable o al TARGET Center del USDA al (202) 720-2600 (voz y TTY), o contactar al USDA a través del Servicio Federal de Retransmisión llamando al (800) 877-8339. Además, la información del programa puede estar disponible en otros idiomas distintos al inglés.
Para presentar una queja sobre discriminación en el programa, complete el Formulario de quejas sobre discriminación en el programa, AD-3027, que se encuentra en http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o escriba una carta dirigida al USDA y proporcione en ella toda la información solicitada en el formulario. Para solicitar una copia del formulario de quejas, llame al (866) 632-9992. Envíe su formulario completo o carta al USDA por los siguientes medios:
(1) (2) (3) correo postal: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; o
(3) correo electrónico: [email protected].
USDA es un proveedor, empleador y entidad crediticia que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.