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Resources

Free downloadable resources for families, food service professionals, and educators. The collection includes lessons, guides, recipes, essays, tips, studies, tools, and more.

Resources

For Food Service Professionals

Plant-Forward Culinary Training Empower your staff to prepare plant-forward dishes that students love with a virtual culinary training this September. Read more	Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing A resource for school food leaders committed to improving the overall quality, nutritional value, and safety of school food. Read more	COVID-19 Menu Planning Strategies A practical guide with flexible strategies for your school menus to adapt to the changing demands of COVID-19 meal service. Read more
COVID-19 Return to School Planning Resources COVID-19 planning templates, reopening protocols, and additional resources that support school nutrtition programs in return to school planning efforts. Read more	COVID-19 Emergency Meal Service Resources COVID-19 resources, toolkits, and tip sheets that support school nutrition programs during emergency meal service. Read more	Community of Practice Calls on Emergency Food Service This free series offers an opportunity for districts to connect with one another, share ideas, and build connections with partners across the state. Read more
5 Ways to Increase Participation with Customizable Menu Options Providing customizable menu options to increase lunch participation. Read more	Preparing California-Grown School Meals: A Professional Development Guide A guide to engaging foodservice staff and inspiring the confidence to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in school meal programs. Read more	Celebrating California Food for California Kids A video honoring California's abundance, and supporting children's health, education, and the state's economy. Read more
Rethinking School Lunch Guide A planning framework for improving school food, supporting sustainable food systems, and teaching and integrating curriculum around food issues. Read more	21 School Meals Featuring California Foods Scaled and tested recipes for reimbursable school meals featuring fresh ingredients. Read more	Making the Case for Healthy, Freshly Prepared School Meals Check out our tools for demonstrating the academic, health, environmental, and financial benefits of high-quality, appealing school meals. Read more
Cooking with California Food in K-12 Schools Our acclaimed cookbook and professional development guide by award-winning authors Georgeanne Brennan and Ann M. Evans. Read more	School-Community Kitchens A new partnership for supporting health, academic achievement, and community vitality. Read more	Rethinking School Lunch Oakland Feasibility Study A roadmap for comprehensive reform of nutrition services. Read more
California Tastes Amazing Recipes, based on popular school meals, that parents and children can cook together at home. Read more	5 Food Service Staff Innovators Serving Freshly-Prepared Meals with Care Celebrating five food service professionals and how they strive to do more for their students. Read more	Photographing School Food: A Practical Guide to Making California School Meals Look Great Your food deserves great photography. Our practical guide helps you improve the visual appeal of all your school meals. Read more
Wellness Policy Guide A guide to help you review, revise, and update your local wellness policy. Read more	California Food for California Kids Events and Resources Participate in our new offerings for the 2021-22 school year designed to support your school meal program. Read more	Build Regional Support Collaborate with others to increase capacity and reach a broader audience. Read more
Farm to Summer Planning Guide A guide for programs that support local communities and celebrate California’s agricultural abundance when school is not in session. Read more	Offer Enriching Experiences Provide meaningful educational experiences and engaging activities. Read more	Design Compelling Marketing Use clear, targeted messaging to drive increased participation. Read more
Conduct Community Outreach Connect with community members to spread the word about your program. Read more	Plan a Farm to Summer Menu Take advantage of seasonal savings on healthy and delicious produce. Read more	What is a California Thursdays Meal? Try this interactive tool and see. Read more

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For Educators

Nourishing Students: Enrichment Activities for Grades K-5 Enrichment activities engage students in exploring the bounty of California-grown fruits and vegetables in after-school, out-of-school, and summer programs. Read more	Fruits and Vegetables: Coloring Pages Fun and educational coloring pages with fruits and vegetables. Read more	Abundant California Educational Resources Everything we eat has a story to tell. The Abundant California suite teaches students in grades 3–5 about California crops and introduces them to the food system that sustains us all. Read more
Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide An interactive guide for educators, students, and advocates that explores how food systems and our changing climate interact, and how personal choices can make a difference. Read more	Understanding Food and Climate Change: A Systems Perspective Exploring the links between food systems and our changing climate from a systems thinking perspective. Read more	Food and Culture Project: The World's Flavor Profiles Students in grades 3-5 examine the food traditions that form the basis of different cuisines around the world. Read more
Nourishing Students: Posters Connecting children with nature and nutritious California-grown fruits and vegetables. Read more	Food and Culture Project: The Migration of Food Lesson for grades 6-8: Students research the origin and migration of ingredients from five different regions of the world. Read more	Make a Mini Greenhouse from a CD Case Use a recycled CD case to make a mini greenhouse and observe seedlings as they develop. Read more
Starting with Soil An iPad app from the Center for Ecoliteracy and Whole Kids Foundation offers a playful, visually rich way to help kids understand that soil is a living system full of fascinating relationships. Read more	The Tomato Salsa Challenge Students in grades 3-5 learn surprising facts about California tomatoes and extend their learning through comparison tasting and a hands-on tomato salsa challenge. Read more	School Lunch Survey Lesson for grades 6-8: Students learn about conducting surveys and presenting recommendations for improving their district's meals. Read more
Savoring California: A Comparative Tasting of California Fruits and Vegetables Lesson for grades 3–5: Students sample different fruit or vegetable varieties, learn about seasons, microclimates, and growing requirements. Read more	Oranges: A Taste of California Sunshine Students in grades 3-5 read about Eliza Tibbets, a California food pioneer, and extend their learning through observation and comparing the tastes of navel oranges to other citruses. Read more	Investigating Cabbage Traditions Students in grades 3-5 examine the cultural importance of cabbages, conduct a comparison tasting of varieties grown in California, and explore related family food traditions. Read more
Students Identify Interactions in the Garden A video showing how third-graders explore interactions among diverse plants and animals in their school garden. Read more	Big Ideas: A New Alignment with Academic Standards Created in partnership with National Geographic, with examples of learning experiences that link food, culture, health, and the environment. Read more	Linking Food, Culture, Health, and the Environment Explore an enriched school environment through this visual guide. Read more

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For Families

5 Things Families Can Do

Five things you can do to learn about school meals.

Make a Mini Greenhouse at Home from a CD case

Use a recycled CD case at home to make a mini greenhouse and observe seedlings as they develop.

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