Fullerton School District’s (FSD) Nutrition Services received the 2023 Turnip the Beet Gold Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services. The award recognizes schools for going above and beyond in their Summer Meal Programs by offering nutrition education at their summer sites, providing nutritious meals based on local taste tests and local food, and using innovative marketing strategies to engage with their communities.

FSD is one of seven school districts in California receiving the highest honor, the Gold Award, and the only district in Orange County to receive the award. Across the nation, 140 districts were recognized as a 2023 Turnip the Beet Award. Programs are unavailable. Programs that offer nutritious meals, foster healthy habits, and combat Summer meals are crucial for millions of young people in the US, especially as their risk of food insecurity rises when school meal summertime food insecurity helps ensure children have the energy they need and are prepared to learn when school resumes in the fall.

FSD earned this honor because nearly every item served over the summer was scratch-made. Additionally, a traveling BBQ rotated daily to school sites featuring mouthwatering offerings like hot dogs, burgers, and meatballs for marinara subs, adding extra excitement to the summer dining experience. Fullerton School District Nutrition Services is dedicated to providing sustenance and elevating the dining experience with scratch-made, high-quality menu options that the students enjoy. This includes continually refining culinary offerings to ensure they look and taste great and contribute positively to students’ health and well-being.

Over the summer months, more than 1,000 meals per day were served, and the Nutrition Services team came together with determination to emphasize scratch-made items on the menu, aiming to evoke the comforting authenticity of homemade meals on a larger scale. The array of scratch-made delights offered included breakfast choices such as blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, baked oatmeal, horchata overnight oats, and yogurt paired with house-made granola. For lunch, students savored dishes like bean and cheese burritos, rice and chicken burritos, chickpea curry, shepherd’s pie, pinto beans, fresh salsa, pickled veggie (Banh Mi) sandwiches, chipotle chicken, grilled chicken wraps, chili cheese fries, and teriyaki chicken with rice.

“Receiving the Turnip the Beet award left me pleasantly stunned and grateful. It is a testament to the tireless collaboration and dedication to preparing scratch-made breakfast and lunch entrees,” shared Michael Burns, Nutrition Services Director.

The Fullerton School District is located in northern Orange County, California, and serves over 11,600 students in grades TK – 8th. The Fullerton School District includes 21 schools, 15 elementary schools, two K-8th grade schools, three middle schools, and a distance learning and home school model. The mission of the Fullerton School District is to work collaboratively with the community to provide an innovative, high-quality educational program for all students in a safe learning environment. The District motto, “Great Schools – Successful Kids,” exemplifies the belief that all students will achieve academic excellence, acquire interpersonal skills, and develop technological expertise to contribute as productive citizens in a democratic society. For more information, call 714/447-7400 or visit http://www.fullertonsd.org.

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For more information, please feel free to contact Dr. Rob Coghlan/Assistant Superintendent, Business Services at 714/447-7412