Child Nutrition Services

Welcome to Green Garden Cafe!

Inspired by the vibrant school gardens across our nine EUSD campuses and our certified organic Farm Lab, Green Garden Cafe was created with one mission: to provide students with fresh, nourishing food that supports their growth, learning, and well-being. From organic Farm Lab produce on the salad bar to sustainably sourced proteins, every ingredient is carefully selected to offer meals you can feel confident about.

Our Commitment to Quality

At EUSD, our Child Nutrition team is dedicated to serving meals made with the highest quality ingredients. We go above and beyond standard nutrition guidelines, sourcing foods free from:

• High fructose corn syrup

• Artificial colors and additives

• Artificial sweeteners

• Hormones and antibiotics in animal products

Our goal is simple: to serve healthy, great-tasting meals that fuel student success.

Seasonal Menus & Daily Salad Bar

Our student lunch menus change monthly, featuring a variety of seasonal, scratch-made entrées using local and organic ingredients. Every meal includes access to our unlimited salad bar, which features:

• Organic lettuce from local and regional farms, but predominantly from our EUSD Farm Lab

• Organic, seasonal fruits and vegetables sourced from local and regional farms

• A selection of salad dressings, including gluten-free options

Student Favorites Include:

• Pasta Bolognese: Made with organic, grass-fed beef from Northern California and house-made sauce using organic Farm Lab tomatoes and herbs.

• Scratch-Made Pizzas: Fresh dough made daily with organic flour and pizza sauce from Farm Lab-grown tomatoes and herbs.

• Grass-Fed Beef Tacos & Nachos: Organic beef seasoned in-house from a family recipe! 

• Chicken Alfredo Pasta: Made with Mary’s Organic Chicken from Petaluma and topped with a creamy, scratch-made Alfredo sauce.

• We also serve a variety of freshly made burritos, pastas, and sandwiches — all student-approved!

Options for Every Diet

We’re proud to offer a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options throughout the week. These are clearly marked on each menu for easy reference.

👉 Explore our current menus to see what’s being served at your child’s school today!

Meal Applications: Free & Reduced Priced Meals

During the 2025-26 school year, all students eat for FREE at our 9 elementary schools. This includes daily lunch and breakfast at all sites!

Free and Reduced meal applications are not required for students to receive free meals. However, families that qualify for free or reduced price meals may also qualify for discounts or benefits in other EUSD or community programs. If you believe you might qualify, please complete an application.

Meal applications are available online (fastest method) or in paper form at the school office. Paper applications can be turned in at your school office or site cafeteria. Please note that applications must be renewed each school year.

1.  Apply Online: at www.schoolcafe.com/encinitasusd  (available starting July 21st, 2026)

2.  Download and Print Meal Application:

Meal Application 2026-27

Solicitud de Comidas 2026-27

Meal Application FAQs/ Aplicación de comidas preguntas frecuentes

How to Apply/ Como Aplicar

We encourage all families to fill out the School Funding Form sent out in student Back to School packets to allow for Federal funding in support of other educational programs that directly benefit the students of the district.

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Cal Fresh

If your income has recently changed and you could use some help with groceries, CalFresh is here to help. Click below for more information:

Meal Prices

Meals are free for all EUSD students.  Adult and visitor lunches are $6.00, Breakfast is $4.00.

Refund & Transfer Policy

Should you need a refund on your child’s lunch account, please contact the Child Nutrition Services Department at 760-944-4300 x 2572 or email Anne Bartlett at Anne.Bartlett@eusd.net. Please allow at least 2 weeks for refunds to be processed.

If you would like to donate the money in your child’s lunch account to another student, please specify when contacting the Child Nutrition Department.

Schoolcafe Flyer
Field Trip Parent Consent FormMedical Statement to Request Special Meals

En Espanol
Schoolcafe folleto

Field Trip Meals

Field Trip Parent Consent & Lunch Request Form 

Viaje de campo consentimiento de los padres

Did you know that EUSD Child Nutrition can provide  “on-the-go” lunches for class field trips? Parents, this gives you a break from having to pack a lunch for field trip days, all you have to do is pre-order a field trip lunch from the school cafeteria!

To pre-order a field trip lunch for your child’s next class field trip, you simply need to fill out the Parent Consent Form for Field Trip/Field Trip Lunch Request Form. This form can be given to the teacher or office staff. Please fill out and return this form no later than 4 days prior to the field trip date. If you child has food allergies or needs special meal accommodations for a field trip, please contact Child Nutrition Services directly before requesting a meal to ensure your student has a safe option for a field trip meal.

Each Field Trip lunch includes: Wowbutter & Jelly Sandwich or Oatmeal Benefit Bar, tortilla chips (GF), sunflower seeds, carrots, fruit and milk.

Teacher Procedures:

PRIOR TO THE FIELD TRIP
4 Days prior to your field trip:

• Teachers or office staff will fill out the top portion of the field trip consent form that includes all field trip information.  This form (with information filled out) then needs to be copied and passed out to all parents/guardians of students attending the field trip.
• Parents/guardians will fill out and return the form.  For any students needing field trip meals, please detach the bottom portion of the form for CNS.
• Complete and submit the Field Trip Lunch Notification Roster that lists all students that will be needing a lunch for the field trip (based on the forms filled out by parents/guardians).  Give form to CNS kitchen staff.
• Attach all student Field Trip Lunch Request Forms that have been filled out by student’s parents. 
• Notify your Cafeteria Site Leader immediately if event is cancelled

The Day of the Field Trip:

• Pick up your meals in the kitchen or staff lounge refrigerator (wherever lunches are stored at your site)
• Lunches are all shelf stable so no cooler is needed for cold transport.
• Bring the Field Trip Notification Roster copy provided by the CNS staff with the lunches on the field trip.

DURING THE FIELD TRIP
During Lunch:

• Use the Class Roster as the Check-Off List of student’s names that received a meal.
• If a student decides not to eat the meal that was ordered, please place leftover lunches back in the cooler to bring back to the cafeteria.

After Lunch when you return to school:

• Place any remaining shelf stable lunches back into the kitchen or staff lounge where you picked them up

AFTER THE FIELD TRIP

• Submit the Field Trip Notification Roster to your CNS staff (or the Nutrition mailbox in the office).

Student Wellness

Healthy Classroom Celebrations Handout
Healthy Classroom Celebrations Letter to Parents

Wellness Policy: Student Board Policy
Wellness Policy: Administrative Regulations

Encinitas Union School District’s goals for Health and Wellness center on improving student’s physical, mental, and overall health and wellness while providing students with techniques, habits, and training for lifelong health and wellness. The district acknowledges the strong relationship between students’ health and learning, and is committed to providing an environment where students and staff are supported in making healthy choices for lifelong health.

Healthy Classroom Celebrations

Birthdays and classroom celebrations are great opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle, provide consistent messages, and create excitement around nutritious choices at school. In line with the EUSD Wellness Policy and the district’s focus on health and wellness, classroom celebrations will be held once per month, at the end of each month, to celebrate birthdays and any other classroom events. For these celebrations, the district encourages non-food birthday celebrations or healthy snacks for parents to bring in for students. All student birthdays can be celebrated on one day with one big celebration!

Healthy Birthday Celebration Ideas
• Parents can wrap their child’s favorite book in birthday wrapping paper. The child can unwrap the book and the teacher can read it to the class.
• Create a “Celebrate Me” book. Have classmates write stories or poems and draw pictures to describe what’s special about the birthday child.
The Birthday Child can
• Bring their favorite toy to share with the class or one for each student in the class
• Parents can bring non-food treats for the whole class: pencils, stickers, key chains, etc.
• Lead their favorite physical activity outdoors
• Be the teacher’s assistant for the day
• Wear a special crown, sash, button or badge all day
• Choose the class music for writing or independent student time

Healthy Classroom Event Ideas
• Watch an educational video as a class and serve popcorn (air popped)
• Put on some music and have a dance contest or dance party
• Have a gardening party, visit the school garden, plant seeds, etc.
• Make it a learning experience and celebrate the students’ cultural heritage with traditional crafts, games and stories
• Incorporate special guests into the celebrations. For example, invite a parent or special guest to come read a book or talk to the class
• Celebrate with a fun outdoor activity like a kickball game
• Set up activity stations in the classroom and let students choose (twister, bean bag toss, etc.)

Healthy Classroom Snack Ideas
• “Ants on a Log” celery with peanut/almond/sun butter and raisins
• Cut veggies with low fat dip
• Whole wheat pita bread or crackers with hummus or bean dip
• Fruit Kebabs
• Fruit smoothies
• Dried fruit or 100% fruit leathers
• 100% fruit popsicles
• Frozen banana pops- sliced in half, dipped in yogurt and rolled in a whole grain cereal
• String cheese and whole grain crackers
• Build your own mini pizzas with whole grain English muffins and healthy toppings

Healthy Beverage Ideas
Water
Nonfat or Lowfat Milk
100% Fruit Juice
“Spa Water”- water flavored with fruit

Be Mindful of Food Allergies
Each classroom has a list of the allergies that are present in the class. Work together with the teacher and other classroom parents to bring in options that will include all students, even those with allergies.

Tips for Parents & Teachers:
• Work together to plan your monthly celebrations- class parents, work with your teacher and other parents to plan activities and/or healthy snacks
• Come up with a list of fun celebration ideas
• Keep food allergies in mind and work with other parents to come up with food ideas that will include all students

Please click the link below to sign in and pay for your student's school lunches.