From the Cafeteria to the Capitol

By Nora LaTorre, Eat Real CEO

What happens on a lunch tray can change an entire community.

I’ve seen it happen more than once.

At Eat Real, we’ve always believed that real food is a lever for real systemic change. And over the last few years, our work in school kitchens has started to show up somewhere equally powerful: statehouses and even Congress.

This is the story of how standards written for school cafeterias are becoming laws that will help protect millions of children from preventable, food-related disease. It’s also a story about what’s possible when districts, parents, chefs, and doctors come together and say, “We can do better.”

Pictured: Student at Western Placer Unified where 78% of produce comes from small or midsize farms.

Setting the Standard

We started in California, working directly with districts to help schools cut added sugar, remove artificial dyes, and swap ultra-processed “food” for nourishing, culturally relevant meals.

And then, something remarkable happened.

Districts proved what was possible. Legislators took notice. And policy started catching up to science.

Added Sugar

In 2022, after years of data collection and on-the-ground results, we testified in Sacramento in support of the nation’s first school meal sugar standard. The bill—which was informed by Eat Real’s added sugar standard—passed, paving the way for USDA’s first-ever proposed limits on added sugar in school food. [California’s SB 348–Added Sugar in School Meals]

Artificial Dyes

In partnership with the Environmental Working Group, we turned our focus to food dyes—ingredients banned in Europe but still found in U.S. cafeterias. California’s law restricting Red Dye #3 and others became the first of its kind in the nation, with Eat Real research, advocacy, and testimony helping it cross the finish line. And we didn’t stop there. We helped more states—like West Virginia—pass similar laws which inspired the FDA to take national action. [California School Food Safety Act AB 2316]

Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)

This year, California made history again with the passing of AB 1264 (Gabriel). This bill is a groundbreaking, first-of-its kind bill that will define and remove the most harmful ultra-processed ingredients from public schools across the state.

California’s groundbreaking effort to restrict UPFs in schools, draws directly from the Eat Real Standards we pioneered in districts across the state. It’s already made national headlines and sparked conversations at the federal level.

Each of these victories represents a vital leap forward: from school kitchens to state legislation to federal guidelines. And at every step, Eat Real has been in the room — sharing science, amplifying community voices, and making sure kids’ health comes first.

Pictured: Eat Real team members and fellow school food advocates with Senator Gabriel at the Capitol.

Behind the Scenes of Change

Policy work can sound abstract, but for me, it’s full of vivid, unforgettable moments.

I think about Michael Jochner, the school food director at Morgan Hill Unified, who rolled 34 pounds of sugar into a board meeting to show how much had been cut from each student’s meal, per year. His story later inspired legislators who debated California’s sugar standards.

I remember standing in the halls of the State Capitol with parents, doctors, school foodservice professionals, and our team, testifying about the real impact of food dyes on children’s health and behavior. The energy was electric — and we left knowing we’d tipped the balance.

And I’ll never forget watching the Assembly and Senate’s near-unanimous votes on AB 1264, with our team crowded around a screen streaming the session. When the bill passed, the cheers, hugs, and high-fives were all about one thing: knowing that millions of kids’ lives will be healthier because of this law.

These behind-the-scenes moments don’t make the news, but they’re the heartbeat of change. They remind me that policy is ultimately personal, and it starts with us.

Pictured: Michael Jochner and Miguel Villarreal, Interim Co-Executive Director of the National Farm to School Network, at AB 1264’s Testimonial Day.

Why This Matters

Here are a few stunning statistics that illustrate why this work is so urgent:

One in five U.S. adolescents is pre-diabetic.
67% of kids’ calories come from ultra-processed foods.
Underserved communities bear the greatest burden of nutrition-related disease.

That’s why our 10 Nutrition Standards — grounded in the latest science and proven in schools — are becoming the blueprint for policy. They work in California. They work in Georgia. And now they’re being written into law.

When science meets community power, legislators listen. And when legislators act, millions of children benefit.

Pictured: Students at Western Placer Unified where 44% of menu items are minimally processed.

What’s Next

We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we’re just getting started. With AB 1264, California is once again leading the way. But we know these ideas won’t stay contained within state borders. Just as sugar and dye standards jumped to the national level, UPF standards can — and must — become part of federal school meal policy.

That’s the path we’re on: local pilots → state wins → national transformation.

Your Role in This Movement

To me, this is the most exciting part: Eat Real is showing how a small nonprofit, powered by donors and community voices, can spark outsized impact.

Every dollar you give helps us bring more evidence to policymakers, partner with more school districts, and fuel the next wave of systemic change.

We’ve proven that policy follows practice. Now we need your support to keep the momentum going.

Because every child deserves a school meal that nourishes, not harms. And every family deserves the peace of mind that comes from knowing the food system is finally putting kids first.

Together, we can keep turning cafeteria wins into Capitol victories.

Let’s feed kids like their lives depend on it. Because they do.

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