Child Nutrition Services

Child Nutrition Services & Green Garden Cafe

Inspired by the thriving gardens found at our nine EUSD schools and our very own certified organic Farm Lab, Green Garden Cafe was created to serve students fresh food that they need to grow and succeed. From organic Farm Lab produce on the salad bar to sustainably sourced proteins, Green Garden Cafe is providing students with nourishing foods that you can feel good about.

Child Nutrition is committed to providing healthy foods with the highest quality ingredients possible to students in the district. We strictly source the food that we serve to our students, never using ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and additives, hormones and antibiotics in animal production and artificial sweeteners. Our goal is to serve the highest quality, best tasting, healthiest meals possible!

Our student lunch menus change monthly, featuring a variety of seasonal and local scratch-made entrees. Check out our lunch menus to see the selections offered to students each day. An unlimited salad bar is available with every school meal. The daily salad bar includes organic lettuce sourced from local and regional farms, Harvest of the Month produce on Wednesdays and a variety of salad dressings (including gluten free options). Some of our more popular, freshly-made entrees include:

• Pasta Bolognese: made with organic grass fed beef from Marin Sun Farms in Northern California and pasta sauce made with organic tomatoes and herbs from the EUSD Farm Lab.
• Scratch-made Pizzas : dough made fresh daily in our kitchen using organic flour and marinara sauce made with organic tomatoes and herbs from the EUSD Farm Lab.
• Grass Fed Organic Beef Tacos: organic grass fed beef from Marin Sun Farms in Northern California seasoned with our special house blend of spices, served on a corn or flour tortilla.
• EUSD “California” Burrito: our spin on a California burrito, made with grass fed organic beef and Farm lab organic roasted sweet potatoes.
• Scratch-made burritos, pastas and sandwiches are a huge hit with students as well!
• A variety of vegetarian and gluten free options are offered throughout the week. You can find these items by special symbol designation on each menu

Meal Applications: Free & Reduced Priced Meals

During the 2023-24 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. Applications for free and reduced-price meals are available online at www.schoolcafe.com/encinitasusd, at the school office, and in the lunch line. Paper applications can be turned in at your school office or site cafeteria. Please note that applications must be renewed each school year.

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.

Meal Application 2023-24/ Aplicación de Comida 2023-24

Meal Application FAQs/ Aplicación de comidas preguntas frecuentes

How to Apply/ Como Aplicar

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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 $5.00, Breakfast is $3.00.

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

Summer Meal Programs: to find free summer meals near you, click the link to access a location in your area.

Field Trip Meals

Did you know that EUSD Child Nutrition can provide delicious, nutritious “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 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.

All children who have a completed a Field Trip Parent Consent form requesting a lunch will receive lunch for free this year.

Each sack lunch includes the following: Wowbutter & Jelly Sandwich or Oatmeal Benefit Bar, gluten free tortilla chips, sunflower seeds, carrots, fruit and milk.

Link to Field Trip Parent Consent Form:English/Viaje de campo consentimiento de los padres

Teacher Procedures:

Field trip lunches are available for all students for free!

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

Food Celebrations Order Form

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

Interested in CNS Catering your next classroom or school event? Please contact Lea Bonelli, Director of Child Nutrition Services for more information or check out our Food Celebrations Order form for more details on items available for purchase:

Food Celebrations Order Form

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