NO COST FOR BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL 

Children who eat a healthy breakfast pay more attention in class and have lower rates of tardiness and absenteeism. To encourage students to take advantage of these benefits, breakfast is at NO COST in school for all New York City students.

SchoolFood ensures that free breakfast is available for all students by offering breakfast via one or more of the following breakfast service models.

Breakfast in the Classroom: Offers students a complete breakfast at the beginning of the school day in their classroom.

Grab & Go: These meals can be picked up in the school dining room or at a designated station strategically located in a highly traveled area, such as the school’s lobby.

Traditional Service Line: Breakfast is offered in the school’s dining room before the school day begins.

SCHOOL LUNCH MEALS

Our lunch menus reflect our commitment to the highest standards of nutrition while offering fresh, appetizing, and delicious foods. Our hot and cold lunches are carefully planned to include a variety of selections such as assorted fruits, whole grains, breads, vegetables, and fresh salads which students are sure to enjoy each school day. Lunch meals are available at a low-cost or free of charge to all students.

SNACK & SUPPER MEALS

SchoolFood ensures that a child participating in a regularly scheduled afterschool educational or enrichment activity program receives the nutrition they need to learn and grow.

Our daily snack menus offer children two items and our complete supper meals consist of five food items. Monthly menus provide considerable variety so your children are able to make smart food choices and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

To inquire if your child’s school has a Snack or Supper Meals Program, please speak to the school’s administration. If your school is interested in applying for one of these programs or has questions, contact SchoolFood at 718.707.4320 or scharles12@schools.nyc.gov.

SATURDAY MEALS

SchoolFood is dedicated to serving the academic community to support student achievement. Healthy meals play a key role in fueling students enrolled in an educational program or an enrichment activity scheduled on Saturdays.

Elementary, junior high, and high schools are eligible for a morning snack and/or lunch. Providing students with a selection of nutritious food leads to improved student performance.

To inquire if your child’s school has a Saturday Meals Program, please speak to the school’s administration. If you’re a school interested in applying for this program or have questions, contact SchoolFood at 718.707.4320 or scharles12@schools.nyc.gov.

LYFE

The Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) Program offers student parents and their children childcare, academic guidance, and social advocacy. SchoolFood supports the LYFE Program and remains committed by providing infants, toddlers, and their student parents high-quality nutritious meals. Good nutrition is essential in preparing children to learn; therefore, age-specific menus are created to align with the New York State Child and Adult Care Food Program Guidelines.

 For more information and a list of locations visit the LYFE website.

SUMMER MEALS: Free breakfast & lunch

Breakfast and lunch continues beyond the scheduled instructional school year. Our Summer Meals Program is available at hundreds of public schools, community pool centers, New York City Housing Authority complexes, and other locations around the city. No registration, documentation, or ID is required to receive a free breakfast or lunch meal.

In an effort to reach as many children as possible during the summer, SchoolFood deploys four mobile food trucks which visit beaches, parks, and playgrounds throughout the city to handout free, delicious, and nutritious lunches to all children 18 years old and under.

Summer menus continue to reflect our commitment to the highest standard of nutrition while offering fresh and appetizing foods.

Feed Hungry Children: Serve meals at your site

The easiest way to serve summer meals at your location is to receive high-quality breakfast and lunch meals from the Office of SchoolFood, NYC Department of Education.

To receive meals, organizations must be an accredited nonprofit, fill out an application, have adequate refrigeration on site, pass an inspection conducted by the Office of SchoolFood, and have one person on staff during meal service that currently holds a NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene food handling certificate.

GARDEN TO CAFÉ

The valuable program connects school and community gardens with school lunch meals through seasonal harvest events and educational activities. SchoolFood has partnered with Grow to Learn NYC: The Citywide School Garden Initiative to identify possible Garden to Café schools. Students and school communities share in the bounty of school gardens and celebrate with biannual harvest events that take place in October or November and then again in May or June.

SchoolFood kitchen teams prepare produce and turn it into delicious foods like kale salad, fresh herbed vinaigrettes, and roasted root vegetables. This gives students a unique opportunity to taste what they have grown. Schools also receive additional culinary support from SchoolFood’s Garden to Café coordinator and SchoolFood’s Chef Instructors to plan and prepare for the harvest events.

Program goals:

  • • Support instruction on gardening and the local food system
  • • Raise awareness of the benefits of school gardening
  • • Influence healthful food choices
  • • Increase student consumption of more fresh and locally-grown produce

FRESH FRUIT & VEGETABLE PROGRAM

We support the United States Department of Agriculture’s effort of combating childhood obesity by taking an active role in participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). New York City elementary school students enrolled in a certified school can now enjoy additional fresh fruits and vegetables every school day. The program introduces children to a variety of produce that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to enjoy, such as grape tomatoes, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, and honeydew melon. Promoting healthful eating habits is at our core!

SALAD BARS

Salad bars allow New York City students to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. We are committed to promoting healthy food choices among our students. Since 2004, the City has installed salad bars in more than 1,000 schools - an effective strategy to increase children’s access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Our salad bars feature a variety of nutritious and delicious selections combining flavors, textures, and colors. To top-it-off, students can select from an assortment of salad dressings such as Asian Sesame, Balsamic, Chipotle Ranch, French, Honey Mustard, and Lite Italian.

Popular salad choices among students include: Mixed Green Salad, Three Bean Salad, Confetti Corn Salad, and the Five Spice Marinated Tomato Salad.