Free Breakfasts to Start the School Year

Tosha Morales grew tired of watching children concentrate more on their hunger pangs rather than their schoolwork.

Morales, director of food services at Charter Oak Unified School District, decided it was time children have a nutritious breakfast before school, so she initiated a no-cost breakfast program to run all year at all Charter Oak campuses.

Starting the first day of school on Aug. 29, free nutritious breakfasts will be made available to students at all Charter Oak schools every weekday for the 2011-2012 school year.

“It had been a goal of mine for a long time,” said Morales. “We just want to give relief to these families and make sure these kids can come to school energized and ready to learn.”

Elementary students can come to the cafeteria before school begins each morning for breakfast. Royal Oak Middle School and Charter Oak High School students can receive their meals before school and during their morning break. Charter Oak students can also come in during zero period. However, each student is limited to one breakfast a day.

To ensure proper daily nutrition, the meals include a variety of whole wheat and grain products, milk, fresh fruits and juice.

“We’ll serve fresh fruit juice, not fruit beverages with just 10 percent juice,” said Morales. “Students can also choose from low-sugar cereals.”

Introducing students to new, healthier ingredients had become a new passion for Morales, who tuned students into vegetables such as jicama, as well as her three-bean vegetarian chili.

“I’ll come in to classrooms and do taste tests with the kids,” said Morales.

The program is funded entirely by raised funds through Food Services, said Morales, not by district General Fund monies.

Daily menus are available on the district’s Web site.

For more information, call 626-966-8331.