November 2023 Nutrition Newsletter
November 03rd, 2023
NOVEMBER 2023 WAVECREST CAFE
NUTRITION NEWSLETTER
In this issue:
• New Winter Menu Starts November 6th
• Harvest of the Month Featured Food
• Menu Spotlight: Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich + Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Farmers Market Flashback
• Job & career opportunities
NEW WINTER MENU STARTS NOVEMBER 6th
Our new Winter menu launches on November 6th! Click here to see the full menu.
We’ve been hard at work building a menu that reflects feedback from our diners and the latest nutrition guidelines that make school meals tasty and nutritious.
Every meal is offered with a variety of fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies, including many from local, California-based farms. Our commitment to Farm 2 School means you’re offered high-quality, delicious, nutrient-packed produce every day. Here are a few menu highlights.
Fiesta Taco Bar: Build your perfect chicken taco bowl with this option. We provide all of your favorite fixings on this taco bar and let you choose your own condiments, including our house-made salsa and fresh, seasonal veggies. Add our seasonal fruit from local California farms for a perfect plate!
Hot & Spicy Chicken Tenders with Texas Toast: Our middle and high schoolers like to bring the spice, and these tenders are just what they ordered. Hot & Spicy with tons of taste. Add Texas Toast and our seasonal fruits and veggies for a bold and flavorful meal.
Asian Chicken Salad OR Asian Veggie Salad: These delicious salads are available every day at our middle and high schools. Diced Pears, protein-packed edamame and sunflower seeds sit atop a blend of green and red shredded cabbage, romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, and diced cilantro. Select the Asian Chicken Salad if you want tender grilled chicken in the mix as well. Top off the salad off with the zesty sesame dressing for a delicious and healthy entree! (Picture coming soon)
BBQ Chicken WaveCrest Pizza: Our winter menu features this flavor- and protein-packed pizza baked fresh in our ovens daily. It uses a white whole wheat dough from Vista’s own Sadie Rose bakery and is topped with tangy, barbecue sauce and delectable chicken. (Picture coming soon)
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.
HARVEST OF THE MONTH: PERSIMMONS
November’s featured food in our Harvest of the Month program is the persimmon. This one is full of surprises, as it isn’t always familiar to many of our students and staff. Let us tell you, you’re in for a treat with this amazing fruit, packed full of flavor and fun.
Persimmons are originally from China, and some species made their way to Japan, where it is the national fruit. Today, almost all persimmons in the United States are grown in California, making it a fantastic way to support our local and state-wide farmers.
Persimmons are a fantastic source of vitamins A and C, as well as fiber, lycopene, beta-carotene, and other antioxidants that help to boost the immune system. A ripe persimmon has a mild, sweet taste that some have said is similar to honey. The inside fruit texture is close to that of an apricot, and the skin is similar to an apple.
Secret tip: you can eat the skin of persimmon, and combined with the sweet fruit inside it’s like a natural version of a Sweet Tart.
Persimmon Facts
• Fresno and Tulare counties in California produce 53 percent of all of California’s persimmons.
• San Diego, Orange, and Riverside counties are also major producers of persimmon in California.
• The Hachiya variety was the most popular persimmon for the first half of the 20th century but has been replaced by the Fuyu variety in the years since.
• Some varieties of persimmon can be ripened faster by putting them in a paper bag with apples or bananas.
This year, our persimmons are coming from Davis Farms, located just up the road in Valley Center.
Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about heirloom tomatoes with your class during a Harvest of the Month activity. You can download our Harvest of the Month resources for families here.
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 Vanessa Luna.
MENU SPOTLIGHT:
BUFFALO CHICKEN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH +
GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
Grilled Cheese Sandwich: What could be better on a brisk winter day than delicious whole-wheat bread holding together grilled and melted cheese? Not only is this fun comfort food, it’s got all of the protein and nutrients you’ve come to expect from WaveCrest Cafe. This sandwich is available in our elementary schools.
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich: A bold and tasty twist on a winter favorite designed for our middle and high school students. Take a hearty grilled cheese sandwich and add spicy, flavor-filled buffalo chicken and you’ve got a meal designed to power minds and bodies through a day of learning.
No matter the grade level, make sure you build your perfect plate by choosing from a delicious selection of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables from local California farms.
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.
FARM 2 SCHOOL FLASHBACK:
October Farmers Markets
Our good friends at Food 4 Thought were back last month with the always-popular farmers market activities and visits at five of our elementary schools. Students learned all about where the food they are served comes from, as well as getting to try their favorite foods – both new and existing.
Take a look at some of the fun our students had.
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/
NO COST FOR SCHOOL MEALS THIS YEAR!
California is one of seven states across the country that has made school meals available at no cost to all students! In addition to providing fresh, healthy, delicious foods to our students, there is no paperwork required.
*** With meals being offered at no charge, we are anticipating more students will be dining with us. This may affect the availability of some entrees as we learn and adapt to greater numbers and meeting the demand.
RESOURCES, GRANTS, AND EVENTS
Request A Master Gardener For Your School
The San Diego County Master Gardener Association provides Master Gardeners to help schools set up and maintain gardens. Master Gardeners act as consultants, mentoring parents and teachers who request help with beginning or improving their school gardens. Request a garden consultant here.
Educational Garden Design Grant – Rolling Dates
The California Native Garden Foundation offers grants for school gardens that feature CA native plants. Types of support include garden design services, in-kind donations of plants and landscape materials, volunteer assistance, and direct financial assistance. Click here to learn more and to apply.
Solana Center Workshops – Rolling Dates
The Solana Center hosts a variety of workshops and lessons across San Diego County, with topics including composting, raising backyard chickens, green living, and water-wise gardening. Check out their events calendar here.
Bonnie’s Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program – Rolling Dates
Bonnie’s provides free mega-cabbage plants to 3rd-grade teachers across the US who want to participate. Students grow the cabbages and submit pictures and measurements of their harvest to be considered for a $1,000 scholarship. Find out how to participate here.
Follow us on social media:
(C) 2023 WaveCrest Cafe / Vista Unified School District
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.