February 2026 Nutrition Newsletter
January 30th, 2026
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In this issue:
• How Our Menu Items Measure Up
• Farm to School Spotlight: Harvest of the Month – Grapefruit
• Menu Spotlight: BBQ Rib Sandwich
• Food Vendor Spotlight: Cream Co Meats
• Job & career opportunities
• More…
How Our Menu Items Measure Up
School meals have and continue to follow specific nutritional guidelines to ensure that our students receive healthy, delicious meals. School meals are designed to be:
• Nutrient-rich (meaning lots of vitamins and nutrients)
• Low in sodium
• Low in saturated fats
• Age-appropriate portion sizes
Fruits, Veggies, and Fiber
Every school meal comes with a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is important for many reasons, including the fact that fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Studies show that 90% of the US population does not get enough fiber, so the fruits and veggies we offer help to build healthy habits.
Not All BBQ Rib Sandwiches Are Equal
These guidelines apply to every meal we serve. So when you see a BBQ Rib Sandwich on our menu, you can rest assured that ours are designed to be full of the nutrients needed to grow and learn, along with every other menu item. Here are a few comparisons:
Be sure to check your school’s menu for your daily favorites.
*** Menus are subject to change based on ingredient availability and staffing needs.
Farm to School Spotlight
February’s Harvest of the Month is Grapefruit
Very few fruits are as bold and bright as grapefruit. It makes sense when you look at the history of the fruit and what makes it unique. For starters, botanists believe that it was originally a hybrid of two fruit species bred over 4,000 years ago in Asia. Grapefruit grows on evergreen trees, and unlike other citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes, it grows in grape-like clusters.
The grapefruit tree reaches 30 to 50 feet in height, although many farmers keep them trimmed back to 15 feet for easier access to the fruit. The more than 20 varieties are generally classified by the color of their fruits, which come in three shades: pink, red, or white and yellow. What’s more, ‘Red Ruby’ grapefruit was the first of the variety to receive a US patent in 1929.
As you can guess, grapefruit is packed with vitamin C, among other vitamins and minerals, and is an excellent source of fiber.
Home Grown: California ranks second in fresh grapefruit production in the United States, behind Florida. Although in our state, grapefruit can be grown year-round, making it available at any time. And more than 90% of all grapefruit in California is grown in just four counties: San Diego, Riverside, Tulare, and Imperial. Grapefruit is a vital (and delicious) part of our Farm to School program and a fresh, local item that we can serve up.
Reasons to Eat Grapefruit: One-half of a medium grapefruit is:
• An excellent source of vitamin C.
• A source of many other nutrients, including potassium, folate, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and fiber.
• Low in calories.
Grapefruit is also a zesty and delicious way to have a snack, spice up a salad, or serve as a side item for many other entrees.
Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about Grapefruit 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.
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January’s Harvest of the Month was Kale, and here are a few photos from classrooms where students were able to sample and learn about Kale.
Menu Spotlight: BBQ Rib Sandwich
Students are loving this new menu addition, which is perfect for powering a day of learning and growing. A hearty portion of pork rib is covered with a delicious, tangy BBQ sauce and served on a whole wheat roll.
Combine this sandwich with our selection of fresh fruits and veggies, and you’ve got a stellar meal for your day.
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.
Food Vendor Spotlight: Cream Co Meats
We’ve been getting amazing, positive feedback on our new menu, and one of the standout items has been our burgers. The burgers we are serving come from a new vendor for us: Cream Co Meats, located in the Bay Area.
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.
They also provide us with delicious, high-quality burger patties that are a hit!
Food Resources for North County
We recognize that people sometimes need extra help to be food secure. Our district has compiled a list of the organizations providing assistance in North County.
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, we have a section on our Resources page that lists the organizations we know of that are providing these services.
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.
Student Meals Aren’t Just Free, They’re Saving Families Money
Student meals continue to be offered at no cost. School meals deliver benefits, including a connection to better academic performance, reduced absences, reducing food insecurity, eliminating the stigma for school meals, and equitable access to fresh foods.
On top of that, families are saving money. A conservative estimate shows that having students choose school meals can save a family over $1,300 per year, per child. Factoring in an average cost of $4.50 per lunch and $3.00 per breakfast, and multiplying that by the 180 instructional days of a school year, the savings add up.
A recent study by the consulting firm Deloitte found that a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich costs more to make at home than the cost of a school meal. California’s commitment to universal school meals expands the savings even more.
Not only is there a significant financial benefit to families, but our Farm to School program means that students are offered a wide variety of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, including organic products, from partners like Dickinson Family Farms and Dassi Family Farms.
Join us for breakfast and lunch, and enjoy fresh, healthy, delicious meals and the peace of mind of no-cost meals for all of our students.
MenuLogic K12 Makes Detailed Nutrition Information Easy To Find!
We are thrilled to work with MenuLogic K12 to provide an easy-to-access guide to our menus, nutrition information, and a list of allergens in any item.
Simply visit our menu page and scroll to the listing at each grade level that says, “Click here for all menu nutrition and allergen information.” The Menu Logic page lets you choose your school, and then see a detailed listing of all the nutrition and allergen information for every entree, side dish, and condiment.
Enjoy this quick, user-friendly resource!
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
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.
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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.