Center for Ecoliteracy

05/29/2026

"It is possible to change the trajectory of our food systems and ensure that future generations have more prosperous futures." Powerful perspective from Genoveva Islas, MPH! Don't miss her article in Grantmakers In Health.

The Center for Ecoliteracy is proud to partner with and learn from Veva + Cultiva La Salud to transform school food in the Central Valley.

A native of Fresno, I was raised in California’s Central Valley where I have now worked for a few decades. As a first-generation college student, my lived experience is very common for the children of farmworkers. My extended Mexican family was big, poor, uninsured, and suffered many losses from v...

05/28/2026

Hear from Center for Ecoliteracy partner Dr. Anisha Patel in "What the new U.S. dietary guidelines mean for kids: Five things to know"
Stanford Medicine

We are proud to work with Dr. Patel and her team to advance school meals in California through youth engagement, reducing ultra-processed foods, and increasing access for all students.

Stanford Medicine pediatrician Anisha Patel studies how to help kids and families make healthier dietary choices. She shares her thoughts about the new federal guidelines.

05/26/2026

Nourishing Students Activities in Action: Look at these Berkeley USD kindergarteners exploring carrots right in their own classroom! 🥕

Activities like this one — straight from Nourishing Students: Recipes for Discovering Fruits and Vegetables with Early Learners — bring fruits and vegetables to life through curiosity, conversation, and hands-on fun.

When kids get to touch, taste, and discover food early, those experiences stick. With more California TK–K students accessing school meals and food education from the very start, moments like these are quietly planting the seed for a lifetime of healthy habits.

Find this activity and more at https://ecoliteracy.org/download/nourishing-students-early-childhood-education-resources

05/18/2026

This is school lunch! 🥬 Spices like cumin, coriander, and cardamom give Middle Eastern dishes their signature flavor—often paired with crisp greens, sweet pomegranates, and savory herbs. Get recipes for the Middle Eastern Skirt Steak Bowl, including Zhoug and a Zucchini Pomegranate Salad, at ecoliteracy.org/california-flavors.

Funding for California Flavors is made possible by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

05/14/2026

New Podcast! 🎧 Hear Cindy Hu, Education Program Manager, discuss school meals and mental health with student Aminah-Re Ampomah in "Easy to Digest: How Food Affects Your Mood" from .

Aminah says, "I think that it is important to teach youth about health, and implementing local food into school lunches will be a huge benefit. Food is so important."

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/easy-to-digest-i-hear-you/id1675386164?i=1000765676254

05/12/2026

Plant-powered! 🍔 🌱 Access the recipe for Za’atar Lentil and Chickpea Falafel Burger + 11 more new recipes available at ecoliteracy.org/california-flavors.

Falafel is a classic Middle Eastern dish made from beans—adding lentils creates a supercharged source of plant power.

Funding for California Flavors is made possible by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

05/05/2026

Tomorrow! Join us on Wednesday, May 6, to learn how to create RFPs, evaluate bids, and source more California-grown food—with practical tips you can use right away.

🎤 Expert panelists Plateful by WPUSD Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) Spork Food Hub
🌎 Spanish interpretation
👉 Register now at the link in bio


https://zoom.us/meeting/register/spkEjyfkQfq6FpwTyG0HKA #/registration

05/01/2026

Happy to our friends at Morgan Hill Unified! The Morgan Hill Unified Nutrition FarmTECH program is redefining what school food can be, connecting students to fresh, locally-grown ingredients while building real-world skills in agriculture, sustainability, and innovation. Their team is building a 20-acre farm to grow food for school meals and serve as an on-campus educational site. Go team!

05/01/2026

Today is , and there is so much to celebrate! The team at MJUSD Nutrition Services just completed a two-day culinary training with Chef Nick Dramis. (Chef Ann Foundation Healthy School Pathways Inaugural Fellow!)

Building flavors using herbs and spices is essential to meet school nutrition standards while providing kids with delicious food. Staff made Orange Ginger-Glazed Chicken and Jerk Chicken with Rice and Beans, which will be featured on the menu next school year. Go team!

04/30/2026

California Flavors recipes on the road ➡️ Thanks to the team Pajaro Valley Unified School District PVUSD Food & Nutrition Services for hosting us for a culinary training with school nutrition staff. Staff prepared Oven-Baked Pancit for students to taste test, and had a good time doing it!