Changing Seasons, Changing Menus

Spring is here! As the seasons change, so do our Grow Fit® menus. During the month of April, your child’s school will transition to this year’s Spring/Summer Menu. We will continue to focus on providing a variety of veggie-forward meals to spark their interest in fresh, healthy choices.

VEGGIE FORWARD

Currently, only 10% of American children eat the recommended servings of vegetables each day. In conjunction with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) campaign and the Veggies Early & Often initiative, we hope to help change that. By offering veggie-forward options throughout the week, we want to encourage your children to establish a love of vegetables at an early age. Ideally, that effort will carry over into their choices and tastes at home too.

We are currently featuring three new veggie-forward recipes in our classrooms:

• Crispy Garlic Edamame
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Spanish Spinach & Chickpeas 

You will also continue to see two vegetables served on Friday afternoons for our “Veggie-Fueled Friday” lunches. Additionally, there will be vegetable offerings on the menu during breakfast and snack time. You’ll see these indicated on the menu with the Veggie Early & Often campaign icon.

SPRING/SUMMER MENU SNEAK PEEK

On the Spring/Summer Menu, you will notice a new product from Simple Good Foods: Whole Grain Banana Muffin. The muffin will be offered to children for breakfast or snack and we’re confident it will be a hit! We also hope they’ll be excited to see a few of their all-time favorites return to the menu. We’re bringing back the Greek Chicken Pita Pockets and Macaroni & Turkey Salad. Additionally, another updated recipe for Spring/Summer is our Baked Ravioli. Yum!

MEATLESS MONDAY

We will continue taking part in the international movement of Meatless Mondays. Going meatless once per week is not only good for your health, but also for our planet. It helps by limiting our carbon footprint and saving precious resources such as water and fossil fuel. You’ll see entrees on Meatless Mondays such as Charro Beans, Hummus Wraps, and Vegetarian Bean Tacos.

To learn more about the Veggies Early & Often campaign and how to get involved at home, check out the campaign website.