Fresh Feature Friday at Smothers Elementary

Fourth and fifth graders at Smothers Elementary School had the opportunity to taste test three new butternut squash recipes during their lunch period on January 20th. The tasting was part of our monthly Fresh Feature Fridays program, which introduces healthy food options and empowers the students to help shape future menu options at our 19 […]
Nudging Kids Toward Healthy Choices

It’s an age-old question that has puzzled parents and school officials alike: How do we get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables? Since 2008, our Healthy School Food (HSF) program has served locally sourced, scratch-cooked meals to food insecure students across the district. With 18 DC school partnerships, our HSF team is always looking […]
Building Community Through Cooking Classes at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy

After a few hours of play and exercise in the summer sun, the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy campers were ready to eat. As the middle schoolers filed into the kitchen from outside, they took turns washing their hands and putting on their DC Central Kitchen aprons in preparation for their final cooking class. Today’s […]
A Hunger Free Summer

In DC over 40,000 students on free and reduced lunch are at risk of experiencing hunger this summer. Every year when schools let out for the summer, the thousands of kids that rely on school to receive all their meals will suddenly have to look elsewhere for the food they need. […]
Healthy School Food in the Community Over DCPS February Break

DC Public Schools teachers, staff, and students took a much-deserved vacation last week for their February Break, but our Healthy School Food team went into high gear. To keep our students fed even while school cafeterias were closed, DC Central Kitchen’s new mobile meals truck loaded up bags of nutritious lunches and hit the road, making […]
Healthy School Foods Celebrates Black Health and Wellness

Chef Anand demonstrates a sweet potato hash recipe with assistance from Chef Iris for the students of Aiton Elementary School as part of Healthy School Foods’ Black History Month Celebration on Thursday, February 17, 2022. Black Health and Wellness was the theme for this year’s Black History Month for DC Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services. In celebration, […]
Photos: Fiesta Fajita Friday!

Last Friday, students at Washington Jesuit Academy were treated to Fiesta Fajita Friday by our Healthy School Foods Team. DC Central Kitchen’s dietetic intern, Lauryn Woodruff, organized the latin themed meal and collected feedback from the students on the flavor of the meal. The menu consisted of chicken fajitas on whole wheat tortillas with sautéed […]
Photos: Lean, Mean Green Beans at Fresh Feature Friday!

“Tastes like my grandma’s!” “I like all three!” “This tastes like Popeyes!” These are just some of the reviews by the students at Thomas and Drew Elementary Schools during January’s Fresh Feature Friday event on January 28, 2022. This month the Healthy School Foods team came up with three different green bean recipes for the […]
Ring in 2022 with a Lucky New Year’s Meal

Looking for a healthy, fun meal to ring in 2022? Try our Healthy School Food’s Jazzy Black-Eyed Peas and Braised Collard Greens! Stemming from a long-held southern tradition, millions of people across America eat this meal on New Year’s Day to bring health and wealth with them into the new year. Southerners consider black-eyed peas […]
Fresh Feature Fridays is Back!

DC Central Kitchen’s Healthy School Foods team hosts a Fresh Feature Friday event on Friday, November 11, 2021 at Maude Aiton Elementary School. After a long hiatus, this week our Healthy School Foods program finally revived Fresh Feature Fridays. The popular bimonthly events were suspended over a year ago when the COVID-19 crisis first […]