October 2025 Nutrition Newsletter
October 01st, 2025
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In this issue:
• October is National Farm to School Month
• Farm to School Spotlight: Harvest of the Month – Dragon Fruit
• National School Lunch Week is October 13-17
• Menu Spotlight: Birria Pupusa
• Ceviche Taste Test at RBV
• Job & career opportunities
October is National Farm to School Month
October is one of our favorite months of the year, as the entire country celebrates Farm To School programs.
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 year in October, schools, early childhood education sites, farms, communities, and organizations across the country and U.S. Territories join in the celebrations.
What Is Farm to School?
The National Farm to School program emphasizes three main practices for schools:
• Sourcing more food locally to bring in the freshest foods AND support local businesses.
• Conducting nutrition education so that students learn how to develop healthy food habits and knowledge.
• Supporting school gardens to help students learn where their food comes from.
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.
For more information, visit the Farm to School website and learn more about the history and ongoing work to make Farm to School available in every school.
October Harvest of the Month
Featured Food: Dragon Fruit from Dickinson Family Farms
October’s Harvest of the Month features one of the most unique-looking foods around: Dragon Fruit. It is also known as pitaya or a strawberry pear. Dragon Fruit is a tropical fruit, which allows it to grow in San Diego’s climate. It has a vibrant pink exterior and a bold, white or pink interior of the fruit with small seeds.
The taste of Dragon Fruit has been explained as a cross between a kiwi and a pear, with the texture closer to a kiwi, while the flavor is more like the mildness of a pear. It can be served in many ways, including with yogurt, in a smoothie, on its own, or with lime juice sprinkled on top.
Dragon Fruit Facts
• Dragon Fruit grows on the Hylocereus cactus, which is also known as the Honolulu queen. The plant’s flowers only open at night and are pollinated by bats.
• Dragon fruit is grown around the world in tropical and subtropical areas, including the US, Mexico, Central and South America, East, South, and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Australia.
• Dragon Fruit gets its name based on its appearance, with leather-like skin and spikes on the outside.
Dragon Fruit Nutrition Information
• Dragon Fruit is rich in iron, high in fiber, is a rich source of antioxidants, and can help boost immunity.
• Dragon fruit contains many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium.
• Studies like this have shown that pitaya can exert several benefits in conditions such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer due to the presence of bioactive compounds that may include vitamins, potassium, betacyanin, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, and gallic acid.
Harvest of the Month Resources
Learn more about Dragon Fruit 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.
National School Lunch Week is October 13-17
October has a lot to celebrate! 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.
California Crunch Day: October 16
Thursday, October 16th, is the 10th annual California Crunch Day. This event is a statewide celebration of California foods in schools, where children across the state take a collective bite of locally-grown fruits and vegetables to celebrate local farms and healthy eating! Traditionally, students gather at 12 noon on the date and join together to crunch on a delicious California food served at school. We’re thrilled to participate and to celebrate California Crunch Day and the wonderful local foods we serve every day.
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.
So help us celebrate National School Lunch Week every day as we expand our offerings and service.
Menu Spotlight: Birria Pupusa
We introduced Bean & Cheese Pupusas to our menu several years ago, and the Salvadoran treat has become a favorite on our menus. This year, we’ve expanded our Pupusa offering by adding a version that reflects the growing popularity of birria, featuring a filling of tender, marinated beef that is packed with flavor, protein, and other vital nutrients.
Our Birria Pupusa is made by Del Real Foods, which we have also used for our acclaimed tamales. Del Real Foods can be found at Costco and many other grocery stores.
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.
Taste Test at RBV: Ceviche
Taste tests are a great way to introduce students to potential new menu items and receive feedback about what tastes connect with our community. This month, students at Rancho Buena Vista High School participated in a ceviche tasting featuring pineapple, onion, cucumber, cilantro, lime, and jalapeño.
This activity also introduced the use of local, fresh proteins through our partnership with Real Good Fish, a Monterey-based seafood company committed to sustainable and community-based fishing.
A few things we learned from the event:
• 16.7% of students who tried the ceviche had never tasted ceviche before. This allowed us to introduce these students to a new cultural dish.
• 91.7% of students who tasted the dish said they would like to see ceviche featured on the school menu in the future.
This tasting not only promoted healthy, fresh, and culturally relevant food choices but also highlighted our connection to local food systems and sustainability. We’ll be conducting more taste tests at schools throughout the year.
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) 2025 WaveCrest Cafe / Vista Unified School District
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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