May 2026 Nutrition Newsletter
May 01st, 2026
Si desean leer el boletín en español, hagan clic aquí.
In this issue:
• May is National Strawberry Month
• NEW For the Salad Bar: Strawberries from Nagata Brothers Farms in Oceanside!
• Farm to School Spotlight: Harvest of the Month Item – Blueberries
• Summer Meals Preview
• Menu Spotlight: Carnitas Nachos Bowl
• How We Do Nutrition Education
• May Food Day Celebrations
• Job & career opportunities
May is National Strawberry Month
Our salad bars will be loaded with strawberries in May to celebrate National Strawberry Month. Strawberries are one of the most popular fruits in the country, and we are fortunate to have ours coming from just a few miles away.
The strawberries you’ll find come from Nagata Brothers Farm in Oceanside, which is about as close as they can be to our schools. Nagata Brothers Farms is a third-generation strawberry farm that has been providing our communities with fresh, delicious strawberries for decades.
Click here to watch a short video that tells the stories of Nagata Brothers Farms.
Another strawberry celebration in our community is the 14th annual Vista Strawberry Festival, which takes place on Sunday, May 24th. The festival is free and open to the public.
Farm to School Spotlight: May’s Harvest of the Month is Blueberries
With over 450 different species around the world, blueberries are a plentiful and delicious food, not to mention very popular. In the USA, blueberries are second only to strawberries in popularity. So this month we’re featuring this popular berry in our Harvest Of The Month program.
Blueberries are a bush type perennial plant that can grow up to 12 feet tall. They take two to three years to mature and start producing berries. Once they do, they can be harvested between two to five times per year and can produce berries for up to 20 years.
Native American tribes in the northeast revered blueberries and taught colonists how to gather the berries, dry them under the summer sun, and store them for winter.
Some of the health benefits of blueberries include:
• They are rich in antioxidants to fight against sickness, as well as being rich in vitamins C and K, fiber, and manganese.
• They help lower your blood pressure to keep your heart healthy.
• Help keep eyes sharp and strong.
• Boost brain health by improving your memory and protecting brain cells.
• They are also rich in phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring compounds found in foods. Plants develop them to protect themselves, and it turns out they help humans as well.
Blueberry Facts
• The state of Maine produces the most wild blueberries anywhere in the world.
• Blueberry bushes can live for over 50 years!
• Blueberries float! They have tiny air pockets inside, causing them to float in water.
• Blueberries were once called “star berries” because of the five-pointed star shape on the blossom end.
Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about Blueberries 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.
Summer Meals Preview
Is your child attending one of the District’s Summer School or AM/PM programs this summer? If so, they will be able to receive breakfast and lunch meals at no cost! AM/PM participants will also be provided with a supper meal at no cost. We will also have several sites open to community members 18 years and younger for summer meal service. More summer meal details will be sent out soon!
Menu Spotlight: Carnitas Nachos Bowl
A popular new item on our Spring menu has been the Carnitas Nachos Bowl. This loaded lunch entree is a delicious, nutrient-packed treat designed to power you through a day of learning. Tender, juicy carnitas are piled on top of whole-grain-rich nacho chips, and ready to be covered with a variety of toppings from our salad bar.
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.
Nutrition Education Engages Students
Our team is serious about talking with students about nutrition, and we do that in a number of ways. Each week, we are in classrooms, cafeterias, and campuses, engaging students and empowering teachers to talk about nutrition in many ways. In fact, so far this school year, we have hosted the following events:
• 26 taste tests at schools
• 23 classroom nutrition lessons
• 9 blender bike events
• 8 Charlie Cart visits to classrooms
On top of that, we have 130 teachers participating in our Harvest of the Month program, bringing nutrition education and fresh foods directly to classrooms. Thank you to all of the schools and classrooms that have hosted us or signed up to bring nutrition education to your schools.
Food Celebration Days in May
Celebrate these food days during the month of May:
• May 3: National Lemonade Day
• May 4: National Orange Juice Day
• May 13: National Apple Pie Day
• May 16: National BBQ Day
• May 21: National Strawberries & Cream Day
• May 24: National Escargot Day
• May 27: National Grape Day
• May 28: National Hamburger Day
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
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.