April 2026 Nutrition Newsletter
April 01st, 2026
Si desean leer el boletín en español, hagan clic aquí.
In this issue:
• National School Lunch Hero Day is Friday, May 1st – Prepare Today!
• New Item Survey: Korean Beef Tacos & Green Chile Chicken Enchilada
• Farm to School Spotlight: Harvest of the Month Item – Snap Peas
• NEW For the Salad Bar: – Avocados from Davis Family Farms
• Menu Spotlight: BBQ Rib Sando
• April is National Garlic Month
• April Food Day Celebrations
• Job & career opportunities
May 1st is National School Lunch Hero Day: Prepare Today!
Friday, May 1, 2026, is the 14th annual celebration of National School Lunch Hero Day. The day is celebrated on the first Friday of May and was established as a collaboration between the School Nutrition Association and New York Times bestselling author Jarrett J. Krosoczka, creator of the Lunch Lady graphic book series.
We want to invite and encourage our students and staff to honor, encourage, and celebrate the amazing people who prepare and serve more than 80,000 meals every week. Our friends at the School Nutrition Association have created several resources to help celebrate, with fun activities to honor our School Lunch Heroes:
Celebrate Your School Lunch Heroes With These Activities
• Download & design a card with a thank-you note English | Español
• Download these coloring pages
• Finish these comic pages
• Draw a picture for your lunch hero
• Post to social media and use the hashtag #SchoolLunchHeroDay
A full set of the Lunch Lady book series can be found in each elementary school library in Vista Unified, thanks to a grant received by WaveCrest Cafe that funded the purchase of the books. Mr. Krosoczka, in fact, visited Vista Unified in January 2015 as part of the district’s professional development day.
We can’t say enough about our team – people who care deeply about the job they do and the children they serve. We can say thank you over and over again to this incredible group of heroes, and we hope you’ll join us!
New Menu Item Survey: Korean Beef Tacos & Green Chili Chicken Enchilada
We have another menu survey designed to get your feedback on potential new menu items. Hearing from our students is a vital part of what we do and how we craft menus. We have been holding taste tests of these items at some schools, and we want to hear from more of you.
Two items we have been testing are Korean Beef Tacos, and Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. The tacos are filled with tender beef and a tangy Korean sauce, while the enchiladas use green chiles and soft, tasty chicken.
Please take this 1-2 minute survey and make sure that your voice is heard as we develop our new menus. Thank you! Click here.
NEW FOR APRIL – Salad Bar Spotlight: Hass Avocados from Davis Family Farm
Click to learn about Davis Farms
We are featuring locally-grown avocados from Davis Family Farms in Valley Center on our salad bars!
Hass Avocados
The specific avocado that we are offering on the salad bar is the Hass Avocado. The Hass avocado is a locally grown tree fruit grown in San Diego County. They are known for their dark, rough outside, rich taste, and smooth, creamy texture.
Avocados are rich in vitamins, minerals, and a heart-healthy fat called monounsaturated fat, which can help consumers feel fuller between meals. Avocados can be offered in halves to be added to salads or processed for Guacamole!
These avocados come from Davis Family Farm in nearby Valley Center. Derek and Susan Davis started their first farm in the 1990s, picking up the mantle from Derek’s grandfather, who started an avocado orchard in Bonita in the 1950s. They purchased the current farm in Valley Center in 2012, and grow Hass avocados and Fuyu persimmons on 45 acres of beautiful land.
We are thrilled to offer amazing food from Davis Farms. Please try them and enjoy!
Farm to School Spotlight: February’s Harvest of the Month is Snap Peas
Our featured food for the month of April is the Snap Pea. These vegetables may be small, but they are packed with flavor and nutrients.
Snap peas are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber, folate, and thiamin. They are also rich in protein and iron, making them a powerfully healthy item that can go with many meals. They make for a delicious and healthy snack, as well.
While peas have a history going back thousands of years, the snap pea was developed in 1979 as a hybrid between green and snow peas. Snap peas were developed to make an edible pod variety with sweeter, fuller-sized peas. They may be the new kid on the block for peas, but they have become a popular treat.
Some quick history about peas:
Carbonized peas (which means they have been heated to the point where they are charred and preserved) have been discovered in the Near East and Switzerland, and date back as far as 10,000 years.
Varieties of peas have been found in the ruins of Troy and in the tombs of Egypt.
They have origin stories that trace them to three areas:
• Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma), where they expanded to India through Afghanistan
• Near East by the eastern rim of the Mediterranean
• Ethiopia (in plateau and mountain ranges)
Thanks to their ability to grow in so many climates, peas are a global food staple, and as such, can be found in recipes around the world.
Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about Snap Peas with your class during a Harvest of the Month activity. Harvest of the Month is available for any classroom that wants to participate. If your child’s teacher wants to sign up for the program, it’s easy. For more information about the program, classroom tasting parties, and more, email Aleeza Hendershot.
Menu Spotlight: BBQ Rib Sando
We are happy to feature an item new to our menus this Spring: the BBQ Rib Sando. It’s been a hit with all grades, and a tasty, nutrient-packed way to power our students through a day of learning and growing.
The tender meat is lightly coated with a tangy BBQ sauce and served on top of a whole-grain-rich bun. To add to the delicious flavors, our Sando has 33% fewer calories, 57% less fat, 47% less cholesterol, and 28% less sodium than a similar sandwich served at other restaurants.
As with all of our meals, this hearty sandwich comes with a selection of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, letting our students build a plate that matches their tastes.
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.
April is National Garlic Month, and Has Many Food Day Celebrations
April is packed with days to celebrate a variety of foods, many of which we offer on our menu. But one item has an entire month set aside to be celebrated, and that is garlic. Garlic has many flavors and health benefits, and we’re going to share a few of them with you here.
Did you know garlic is a prebiotic?
A prebiotic is food that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Just like plants need fertilizer to grow, the healthy bacteria in your digestive system need certain fibers to stay strong. When the good bacteria are fed, they help keep your body healthy and your digestion working well!
Garlic contains allicin
Allicin is a compound found in raw garlic, but it is only activated when chopped or crushed. Allicin helps reduce blood pressure, lowers the “bad” cholesterol, is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and has antioxidant effects.
To fully activate the allicin in garlic, cut, chop, or crush your garlic and leave for 10 minutes before cooking.
Garlic Fun Facts:
• Garlic has been used for over 5,000 years for cooking and medicine.
• One garlic bulb can contain up to 10 – 20 cloves.
• Garlic, onions, leeks, and chives are all related.
• Ancient Greek athletes ate garlic before competitions to improve their strength and performance.
Food Celebration Days in April
Celebrate these food days during the month of April:
• April 2nd: National Burrito Day. Try our breakfast and lunch burritos on the Spring menu!
• April 8th: Empanada Day. We will have a black bean and green chili empanada on our Fall menu!
• April 10th: Cinnamon Roll Day. Try our whole-grain-rich cinnamon rolls from Bake Crafters!
• April 12th: Grilled Cheese Day. Enjoy our grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich on the current menu, and be on the lookout for a pizza grilled cheese sando in the fall.
• April 30th: National Raisin Day
Earned Income Tax Credit Notification
Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit from the Federal Government (Federal EITC). The Federal EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families.
Read the full flyer for information and links on our Resources page. Click here.
Bring The Charlie Cart to Your School
We have Charlie Cart cooking carts ready to be booked for our classrooms! These mobile kitchens are designed by The Charlie Cart Project, whose mission is to equip “the next generation with the knowledge and confidence to make healthy food choices through hands-on cooking.”
While we’ve had mobile cooking carts before, The Charlie Cart takes it to a whole new level. Each cart is compact and mobile, and brings all the tools, lessons, recipes, and support needed to build a comprehensive food education program.
From cutting boards and utensils to a skillet top, the Charlie Cart even includes its own built-in water tank to handle cleanup.
“The carts come with everything needed for an engaging and delicious nutrition lesson,” says Aleeza Hendershot, Nutrition Education and Training Supervisor for Vistas USD.”They even come with standards-aligned grade-level recipes and activities for K-5 classes. These carts will make it much easier for any teacher to host a cooking and nutrition lesson.”
The Charlie Cart is available for signups now. Interested teachers should contact Aleeza Hendershot.
Build Your Perfect Plate: With all of this amazing food offered, we encourage our students (and staff) to build the plate that they want. Whether it’s adding your favorite toppings to a burger, decorating tamales and tacos with just the right mix of salsa and veggies, or adding fresh fruit to a salad, these options are offered every day.
We encourage you to make the most of everything that’s offered and build your own perfect plate.
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/
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(C) 2026 WaveCrest Cafe / Vista Unified School District
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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
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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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:
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