California Turnip the Beet Award Recipients
An annual listing of the California Turnip the Beet Award winners.
Program Details
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently awarded the first-ever Turnip the Beet awards to Summer Meal Program sponsors across the nation who participate in the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
The awards recognize outstanding Summer Meal Program sponsors who work hard to offer high-quality meals that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious.
- Bronze, Silver, and Gold winners are featured in USDA’s SFSP April 2017 Summer Newsletter Web page
and receive a certificate. - Silver and Gold winners are featured on USDA's April 8, 2017 blog .
- Gold Award winners are identified as a Turnip the Beet winner on the FNS Summer Site Finder Web page .
The California Department of Education Nutrition Services Division congratulates all the 2016 California Turnip the Beet award recipients for their efforts to provide high-quality meals during the summer months.
Gold Turnip the Beet Awardee
Lakeside Union School District Seamless Summer Option
The Lakeside Union School District Summerside Café serves high-quality, kid-friendly menu items and involves parents to help increase participation in summer meals. The school district collaborates with local partners to offer family barbecues, salad bars, and kid-friendly breakfast offerings. Summertime meal services include nutrition education components delivered to children and their families, along with a daily healthy cooking lesson.
Silver Turnip the Beet Awardees
Manteca Unified Nutrition Education Seamless Summer Option
Manteca Unified Nutrition Education uses community partners, grant resources and existing staff to provide enrichment, health and physical activities at the summer meal locations. Due to the success and increase in meal participation of the daily barbecues, the district will offer additional barbecue sites and enrichment activities for the 2017 SSO.
West Contra Costa Unified School District Seamless Summer Option
West Contra Costa Unified School District partners with the Contra Costa Food Bank to distribute fresh produce to needy families at more than 10 summer meal sites. They serve 323,577 nutritious summer meals and snacks at 71 sites in low-income neighborhoods. Meal services at their park locations are supported by a mobile kitchen, and children are able to receive hot menu entrees such as green chili tamales, teriyaki chicken and brown rice, chicken and bean sopas, and whole grain rotini bolognese. Meals also include the choice of fresh sides and salads. Quality oriented menus include a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared and offered in numerous ways,and make up over 75 percent of the offerings.
Natomas Unified School District Nutrition Services Seamless Summer Option
As the second most diverse school district in the nation, Natomas Unified School District Nutrition Services offers nutritious choices that appeal to the community. Throughout the summer they host kick-off events to introduce students to their neighborhood farmers. The farmers hand out produce to families alongside the barbeques and festivities. Partnering with the USDA, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Dairy Council of California, the Center for Ecoliteracy, and local farmers the district is able to provide the community with an opportunity to celebrate summer meals and all that Sacramento’s food growers have to offer.
Questions: Nutrition Services Division | sfsp@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-8323
Last Reviewed: Monday, May 22, 2017
California Turnip the Beet Award Recipients - Summer Meal Programs (CA Dept of Education):
