Natalie Linden

Farm-to-school programs have become increasingly commonplace in the past few years. These programs encourage schools to look locally when sourcing ingredients for meals. Although school meal programs have historically faced strict requirements and regulations, various policy changes (some influenced by the COVID-19 supply chain disruptions) have recently allowed schools a bit more flexibility, which further … Read more

Eat REAL has received a $25,000 grant from the Stephen and Madeleine Conran Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CMFC). This is the second year running that we have received generous support from the foundation. The grant will support deepening our presence in Monterey county and anchoring our work to increase nutrition access … Read more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Iyt8QT6lqc Eat Real’s CEO and K-12 Program Founder Nora LaTorre joined LEVELS CEO & Co-Founder Casey Means on the Levels podcast to discuss Eat Real’s policy/advocacy, awareness building, and K-12 food system transformation work. They discuss why schools are one of the best levers out there for fighting the children’s health crisis and climate change. … Read more

Eat REAL is celebrating the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Farm to Summer Week this week! Farm to Summer focuses on local food sourcing, and fun food and nutrition education for kids. This celebration creates an excellent opportunity for Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operators to engage with kids and parents by enjoying local and seasonal … Read more

On a beautiful sunny day surrounded by rolling hills and endless green pasture filled with over 100 types of native grasses, Eat REAL hosted a group of leaders who all share a common goal: making schools the largest purchasers of regenerative organic food.

Food waste is one of the biggest problems impacting climate change today. Not only do the agricultural inputs that are required to produce food like water, energy, and fertilizers go to waste when food is discarded, but wasted food emits greenhouse gases in landfills. In developed countries like the US, it mainly comes at the … Read more

The American public school system is made up of over 97,000 schools serving more than 50 million children, making it the  largest restaurant chain in the country. The combined buying power, distribution, and influence on the next generation has great potential to shift the food system to support our planet instead of damaging it. Our … Read more

This Earth Month, help us raise $100K to help school districts take climate action at scale and engage + inspire children.

Our team paid a visit to leaders at Vacaville Unified School District, North Monterey County Unified School District, Morgan Hill Unified School District, and Walnut Creek School District, touring cafeterias, and sitting down with directors, staff and students to learn about their programs’ challenges, wins, and what they hope to achieve in the future.

Up to 50% of a child’s daily calorie intake comes from meals consumed at school. For the majority, their first meal doesn’t come until lunch. School breakfast has seen a rise in participation since the pandemic, and in states that have passed Universal Meals permanently, we will continue to see participation increase. Children who start … Read more