San Bernardino school district Grab ‘n’ Go meals distribution changes to once a week, providing produce, bulk items

The San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Nutrition Services is switching from Grab ‘N’ Go Meal distribution three days a week to one day a week starting Wednesday, March 10. This will allow sites to provide families with produce and bulk items instead of just pre-prepared foods.

“We have been so proud to be able to assist our families during this difficult time,” said Adriane Robles, the director of Nutrition Services. “While we wish things could return to normal for our students and families as soon as possible, my team is proud that we can at least make sure that our students don’t have to worry about where to find food.”

By switching to once-a-week distribution, Nutrition Services can focus more on providing families with more of the food and ingredients they need to make their own meals. Nutrition Services will also provide families with recipes and proper food handling techniques to help them make a variety of healthy meals.

“Home cooked meals made with fresh produce are healthier, provide families with a chance to learn and bond during meal preparation, and provide more variety,” Robles, a registered dietician, said. “We think this change will benefit everyone.”

Families looking for more information on how to create learning experiences out of making meals can visit https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/6-ways-cooking-kids-can-boost-literacy-skills.html.

The Grab ‘N’ Go Meal distribution sites will provide five days worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each child on Friday, March 5. Families are strongly encouraged not to miss Friday’s meal distribution, as meals will not be available again until Wednesday, March 10.

Grab ‘N’ Go Meals will resume on Wednesdays only and will include milk, juice, and some prepared meals per child, a 20-pound box of produce and some bulk items per family.