7 states. 18 districts. Get to know the latest districts to join Eat Real!
A quick look into Eat Real’s newest districts reveals how different real food can look across the country — and how many people it impacts along the way.
In California, a kitchen team is serving up freshly baked conchas for breakfast. In Idaho, a small rural district understands that every parent is a neighbor, so feeding their kids well is a huge responsibility. In Michigan, a food service director understands the scale of their program and wants to work with local farmers to support it. In Georgia, a district leader is thinking about their lunch program not just as logistics, but as a lever for changing policy.
Eat Real’s new members span seven states (and a secret eighth state to be revealed later) — California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and Idaho — and with it comes 18 different stories about what it means to feed kids real food in their unique communities.
Here’s a look at how some of our newest districts understand that impact — and how they plan to leverage their Eat Real journey to support it.
It starts with students
At Salinas City Elementary District in California, real food tastes like home. With a student body that is 91% Latino, the nutrition team has built a program around culturally authentic dishes that reflect and celebrate the community they serve.
“Our department takes pride in serving culturally authentic dishes, including freshly baked conchas, pozole, tamales, and tortas.”
— Christina Varela, Director, Food Services at Salinas City Elementary School District, CA
These are the foods their students know, love, and recognize as their own. When students see their food reflected on the tray in front of them, something shifts. They feel seen and valued — and that matters as much as the nutrition itself.
When students thrive, parents trust
Real food for parents means confidence that their kids are being taken care of by their community members — by their neighbors.
“[Eat Real Certification] is another way to show that a small, rural school district can serve really great food, set a high standard, and give parents confidence that we are always working to do what is best for their kids.”
— Anji Branch, Program Director at Gooding School District, ID
For the parents in Gooding, Idaho, that confidence is everything. Knowing that the people feeding their children are not just meeting the minimum standards. That is the kind of work that builds trust between a district and its tight-knit community.
Pictured: Gooding School District elementary student packing tray with fresh options.
When schools commit, farmers can grow
Zeeland Public Schools in Michigan takes pride in purchasing locally when possible. Eat Real certification offers something that strengthens that commitment even further: a framework for measuring progress and a way to put real data behind work they were already doing.
“We love seeing our kids try new, healthy foods, and we take a lot of pride in purchasing local when possible. Joining Eat Real was the natural next step — it puts data behind the progress we’ve made and serves as a guiding star for where we want to take Zeeland’s nutrition program moving forward.”
— Sarah Stone, Food Service Director at Zeeland Public Schools, MI
For the local farmers who supply those ingredients, that commitment means something real — a consistent customer. And when enough districts make that kind of commitment, something even bigger starts to shift.
Pictured: Zeeland Public Schools team member assembling whole grain speed-scratch pizzas.
They’re not just changing school lunch; they’re changing the system
We know that public schools in America are the largest restaurant chain in the country. When districts decide to cut harmful ingredients, increase local sourcing, and do more scratch cooking, the national food system starts to listen.
“As one of the largest purchasers of food in the country, we have the power to influence the marketplace. If we demand fewer ultra-processed foods, fewer unnecessary chemicals, more local products, and more opportunities for scratch cooking, manufacturers and suppliers will respond. Every tray is an opportunity to nourish, educate, and positively impact a child’s future.”
— Desiree Yaeger, Director of School Nutrition at Bulloch County Schools, GA
Pictured: The Bulloch County Schools Team ready to serve up fresh, local strawberries
And all towards a collective impact
On the surface, a small, rural district in Idaho and a district in California serving freshly baked conchas do not have much in common. Different sizes. Different palates. Different menus. Different states.
But listen to why they chose to partner with Eat Real and you understand what impact they all share: what goes on a child’s lunch tray matters. It impacts how a student feels in a classroom, how connected their community feels, and how they view food well beyond school.
Welcome to the Eat Real community
We are so proud to welcome the following districts into the Eat Real certification program.
This group represents one of the most geographically and culturally diverse groups of districts we have welcomed yet. We cannot wait to see what we build together!
California
Menifee Union School District
Amador County Unified School District
Solana Beach Elementary School District
Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District
Salinas City Elementary District
Wisconsin
Holmen School District
Michigan
Menominee Area Public Schools
Kentwood Public Schools
Zeeland Public Schools
Oklahoma
Claremore Public Schools
Bixby Public Schools
Edmond Public Schools
Texas
Fort Bend Independent School District
McAllen Independent School District
Sharyland Independent School District
Georgia
Bulloch County Schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Idaho
Gooding School District
