October 2024 Nutrition Newsletter

October 01st, 2024


October 2024 WaveCrest Cafe Nutrition Newsletter

 

In this issue:
• October is National Farm to School Month
• National School Lunch Week: October 14-18

• Harvest of the Month: Figs
• Featured Menu Item: Mediterranean Bento Box
• Job & career opportunities

 


 

October is Farm to School Month

 

National Farm to School Month logo

 

October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate the connections happening all over the country between local schools 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 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.

 

Farm to School by the numbers: facts about the monthWhat Is Farm to School?
The National Farm to School program emphasizes three main practices for schools:

 

• Source more food locally. This allows schools to offer students the freshest, tastiest, most nutrient-rich foods AND support local businesses.

 

• Conduct nutrition education. This action empowers students with knowledge about food, nutrition, wellness, and how to develop healthy food habits.

 

• Support school gardens. School gardens are dynamic learning spaces that not only teach children how food is grown and where food comes from but how students and families can grow their own food. 

 

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.

 


 

Local Farms We Work With

 

Variety f fruit & vegetables to showcase how much local food was purchased in the 2023-24 school year

 

During the last school year (2023-24) we were able to serve more than 200,000 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables from local, California farms. 

 

In addition to the dozens of farms from the Central Valley and northern California that Food 4 Thought works with, we are grateful to have some world-class farms in our own area. Working with these farms, each of which is within 100 miles of our central kitchen, allows us to offer the freshest, tastiest food available while supporting local small businesses.

 

Among the farms providing us with food this fall are:
Aziz Farms, Dassi Farms, Davis Farms, Dickinson Family Farms, Moonland Produce, Sage Mountain Farms, and Wallace Ranch

 


 

Farmers Markets for Farm-to-School Month

students at Bobier Elementary holding the fruits and vegetables they got at the farmers market

 

As part of our celebration of Farm to School Month, we are thrilled to continue hosting farmers market events at five of our schools between October 8-10. We are excited to have our friends at Food 4 Thought visit each of our elementary schools throughout the school year. Through a fun and engaging lesson and sample farmers market, students will learn about different foods and where they come from. In October we will host farmers markets at these schools:

 

October 8: Monte Vista Elementary
October 9: General Murray High School & Alamosa Park Elementary
October 10: Breeze Hill Elementary & T.H.E. Leadership Academy

 

Food 4 Thought works with dozens of family farms across California to bring the freshest seasonal fruits and vegetables to schools. You’ll find many of their farmers’ foods on our menu every day.

 


 

National School Lunch Week: October 14-18

 

National School Lunch Week 2024 logo in English

 

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.

 

Help us celebrate National School Lunch Week every day as we expand our offerings and service.



No Cost For Student Meals!

 

 

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.

 


 

October Harvest of the Month Featured Food:
Figs from Dickinson Family Farms

 

Figs are the October 2024 Harvest of the Month Food

 

October’s featured item for Harvest of the Month is the fig. Figs are the edible fruit of a small, flowering tree that is native in the Mediterranean, and that has spread around the world.

 

One of the places that has a near-perfect climate to grow figs is California. In fact, California produces 100% of the dried figs and 98% of the fresh figs sold commercially in the United States.

 

Our Harvest of the Month classrooms will be conducting taste tests and lessons featuring figs from Dickinson Family Farms from Fallbrook.

 

Here is a little more information about figs: 

 

Figs and a jar of fig jamWhy eat figs? 

 

• They’re great sources of fiber, manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and vitamin K.

 

• Dried figs have 24% of the recommended daily value of fiber and 26% DV for manganese.


Fig Information

• Figs can be eaten raw or dried, and they are a popular complement to many dishes, including salads, jams, rolls, biscuits, and desserts. 

 

• Fig trees grow to a height between 23-33 feet tall.

 

• Fig trees tend to produce fruit 2x per year – once in the spring and again in late summer and early fall.

 

• There are over 800 different species of figs.

 

• Figs are grown as ornamental trees in many parts of the world, including the “Brown Turkey” and “Ice Crystal” varieties in the UK.

 

Fig trees were introduced to California around the time of the 1849 gold rush, and by 1880 they were being grown commercially throughout the state.

 

Dickinson Family Farms logoFresh From A Local Farm: Dickinson Family Farms
Dickinson Family Farms in Fallbrook 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. 

 

The figs that are part of our October Harvest of the Month program are distributed by Dickinson Family Farms for JB Fig Farm in Valley Center. JB Fig Farms, like all of the farms that Dickinson works with, is located within 50 miles of the Dickinson facility, and their foods are sorted and processed the same way.

 

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.

 

We can’t wait for our students to taste the amazing organic foods from JB Fig Farm as part of October’s Harvest of the Month, as well as enjoy other foods from Dickinson. Learn more about Dickinson Family Farms here.

 

Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about Figs 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 Vanessa Luna.

 

 


 

Menu Spotlight: Mediterranean Bento Box

Mediterranean Bento Box

 

A vegetarian option that is flavorful and protein-packed, this bento box features hearty falafel balls alongside a creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce, whole-grain pita wedges, and a fresh side salad. Mediterranean cuisine is growing in popularity and we are happy to add this option to our fall menu.

 

As with all of our meals, you can build a plate that’s perfect for you with a wide selection of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as condiments, many of which are house-made each week.

 

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.

 


 

Salad Bars at WaveCrest Cafe

 

Salad bar at VAPA Elementary School

 

Did you know that every elementary school and some middle and high schools have salad bars stocked with fresh, seasonal fruits & veggies and our homemade condiments like salsa and low-fat buttermilk ranch dressing? And every school has those fresh foods available for meals each and every day.

 


 

Build Your Perfect Plate

 

Build Your Perfect Plate in English with fresh fruit graphic

 

With all of the amazing food offered, we encourage our students (and staff) to build the plate that they want. Whether 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/

 


 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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(C) 2024 WaveCrest Cafe / Vista Unified School District
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.