Lunchroom Coup: Revolution Foods Upends the Way Kids Eat at School

It is not yet dawn, but already the aroma of rich cheddar cheese, toasty potatoes and baked chicken fills the air. There is an upbeat bustle in this Alameda kitchen. There are children to be fed, even though lunch is still hours away. Food preparation moves ahead like clockwork, orchestrated with care. But despite the enticing scents and warm attention to detail, this is not grandma’s kitchen. The crew—which is busy fixing lunch for thousands of hungry schoolchildren throughout the Bay Area, loading gleaming white trucks sporting bright red apple logos and sending out the fresh-from-the-oven meals into the early morning light—works for Revolution Foods, a private and innovative business taking a new approach to school lunch programs.

Empowering kids to speak their minds and to exercise choice when it comes to food are key to the Rev Foods mission. Cold wrap sandwiches are a case in point. “Latino students made it very clear they don’t do cold tortillas,” says Klein. When students persisted in their requests for pizza, Klein found a source of all-natural pizza crust from a local bakery, organic marinara sauce, natural cheese and low-fat turkey pepperoni. Needless to say, the pizzas are a hit.

As are another kid favorite—chicken nuggets. “The students really wanted chicken nuggets, and we said no, it’s big fast food; it’s against what we do,” Richmond says. But the kids were adamant, so Klein got creative. Using all natural chicken breast—no hormones, no antibiotics—and the heels of fresh whole-grain wheat bread for the breadcrumb coating, the nuggets are baked and served with organic ketchup. “Access to healthier diets is so important for school success,” says Klein. “We’re not going to shut down McDonald’s, but kids do better when they feel better. And when they enjoy their interactions with the texture, flavor and color of foods and know more about where their food comes from, they can make better choices,” she says.

Click here to read the whole story by Noelle Robbins in the Oakland Magazine.

Click here to visit Revolution Foods website. 

Editor's note: Revolution Foods is the service provider for East Palo Alto Charter School (EPACS), a strong partner of Collective Roots. The food service has been a big hit (and yes, I have tried it!), and has helped move school nutrition back into the educational equation that creates success...one of the many reasons why EPACS has the highest test scores in the Ravenswood City School District.