Chef Ann Foundation

Check out this article from the FoodService Director Online that spotlights 8 school districts across the nation, curating new menu items for K-12 students this year. We're thrilled to share that among those highlighted is the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, nestled along California's Central Coast. They're making waves with the introduction of a Veggie Avocado Melt to their school menu, a mouthwatering option for students. Erin Primer, CDM CFPP,Food & Nutrition Services Director of San Luis Coastal Unified School District and a member of our advisory board, shared her insights on this addition. "This kicks up the fat and oil content and provides a super creamy and smooth, almost buttery avocado for these delicious melts," she explained, emphasizing the use of local ingredients to elevate the dish. Curious to learn more about this and other menu items being introduced in schools across the country? Read the article here: https://ow.ly/v4gS50TJ8fo

Join our newsletter to stay in the loop with the latest updates, exciting opportunities, blogs, resources, and scratch-made recipes that are set to transform school meals. 🗞️ Whether you're an experienced advocate or just beginning your journey, our newsletters are designed to offer content for everyone. Don't miss the opportunity to be the change you want to see in the world of school food. Stay informed, inspired, and engaged by subscribing now. Just click the link below to join our dynamic community of school food advocates: https://ow.ly/IrTJ50TJ54b

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (BUSD) is seeking a highly skilled Executive Chef to creatively lead, coordinate, and oversee our food service operations. Our organization has had the opportunity to collaborate BUSD, a school district that is deeply committed to implementing scratch cooking in schools. This is an incredible opportunity for individuals who are deeply passionate about healthy school food and eager to make a meaningful contribution to school food reform. Are you ready to inspire change? To learn more and submit your application, visit: https://lnkd.in/evAuFCfF

Thanks to District Chef RJ Lane and his team, students at West Contra Costa Unified School District are eating meals made with the same high-quality ingredients that are used in some of the best restaurants in Napa Valley.  “I talk to people all the time who tell me they wish their district could do what we’re doing here, I tell them to keep advocating for it, because there’s change coming. Here in California, the whole state is moving toward better and scratch-cooked food.” – RJ Lane, West Contra Costa Unified School District RJ spent 25 years working in the restaurant industry before deciding to switch to school food. He was inspired to reduce waste and cook more from scratch using local ingredients, and that’s exactly what he’s done at West Contra Costa in Richmond, CA. Learn more about his work: https://lnkd.in/g6GmF6qG

"Beyond providing school meals for our students, our new menu items have created a cultural bridge, providing an opportunity to learn about the unique flavors and ingredients of the Hispanic American culture and strengthening our students’ learning experiences. This has resulted in a strong positive impact on how our school community perceives our program, increasing student participation and staff engagement", Jackie Cruz, Food and Nutrition Services Director of Brownsville Independent School District Located at the southernmost tip of Texas, Brownsville sits where Texas meets Matamoros, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. The district participates in our Get Schools Cooking program. To date, they are the largest district ever selected for this program. During the 2022-23 school year, they served an impressive 52,000 meals a day. Out of these meals, they serve culturally related meals such as chicken tostadas, carne guisada, salsa casera, and pico de gallo that reflect their Hispanic and Latino student body. Culturally relevant school meals honor and reflect the diverse backgrounds of students, fostering a sense of belonging and respect for different cultures, while helping kids learn to enjoy a variety of foods. Nora Navarro-Flores, Supervisor of Food & Nutrition Services at BISD, passionately expressed that offerings such as chicken tostadas and chicken flautas paired with their homemade salsa "are a perfect way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, as they highlight traditional flavors and ingredients that are deeply rooted in Hispanic culinary traditions." As #HispanicHeritageMonth comes to a close, we’ve enjoyed collecting stories to recognize and celebrate the rich culture and significant contributions of the Hispanic and Latino community in school food across the country. We look forward to telling so many of these stories, and we welcome you to join us in celebrating these tremendous efforts and individuals year-round. 📸 Photos courtesy of Nora Navarro-Flores

Had a good week in Lewiston, Maine, one of our 2023 Get schools Cooking districts! I’m heading home with lot’s of ideas to keep the momentum moving towards better meals for this great community. #getschoolscooking #realschoolfood #lunchladylife #chefannfoundation

We are thrilled to welcome our new advisory board member, Fernando Aguilar, to our team! Fernando is the Vice President of Child Nutrition Programs at IDEA Public Schools in Weslaco, Texas. With over 25 years of experience, he has led diverse teams in chain restaurants and retail stores. Growing up, Fernando faced financial challenges as his parents navigated life on minimum wage. Despite the hardships, they instilled in him the value of education, motivating him to pursue a college degree. Fernando earned his bachelor’s degree in management and business administration from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (formerly UT Pan American) and a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas Permian Basin. Before joining IDEA Public Schools, he held management positions in various chain restaurants such as IHOP, Red Lobster, Luby’s Restaurant, and Target retail stores. Check out our advisory board page to learn more about Fernando: https://lnkd.in/eWifgiym

Our standard operating procedures for school food, such as preventing contamination at salad bars, have been translated into Spanish. For access to these resources in Spanish, please visit https://ow.ly/ZoPk50Roixq.

We're back with another exciting Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight, this time featuring Cindy Loayza, our California Pre-Apprenticeship Program Coordinator. Cindy was born in Lima, Peru, and moved to the US at the age of six. Despite spending the majority of her life in the States, her home life is a vibrant tapestry of Peruvian culture and heritage. From speaking Spanish to learning Quechua words from her grandpa, she has been able to maintain and embrace her identity fully. We sat down with Cindy to talk about her identity, the Peruvian food she loves, her experience eating traditional food at school, her advice on how schools can incorporate culturally inclusive meals into their menus to reflect Hispanic and Latino cultures and much more. Here, Cindy kicks things off by discussing how schools can participate in #HispanicHeritageMonth in a way that respects and honors the diverse cultures it represents. Throughout the rest of the week, we will post more of Cindy's interview on our Instagram stories.

🍎 Our CEO Mara Fleishman's latest blog post explores how improving school food quality can unite lawmakers across the aisle. From universal school meals to bipartisan solutions, it's time to prioritize the health of our children together. Read more: https://ow.ly/PhEs50TCyJ3