Thank you, Revolution Foods, for sponsoring this post and helping our kids learn to take ownership of their food choices.

Kid inspired, chef crafted.

That’s a pretty great concept, isn’t it? This is the mission of Revolution Foods, a company that’s transforming school meals and citywide wellness one student at a time by giving students access to real food with clean, local, healthy, and carefully selected ingredients. Revolution Foods believes proper nutrition can help students to unlock their full potential and achieve greater academic success. As a leading provider of healthy and delicious meals in schools, Revolution Foods provides two million healthy and freshly prepared meals to students at 2,500 sites, including schools, early education programs, afterschool programs, and other community groups.

Since becoming the meal provider for Boston Public Schools and select charter schools in 2017, Revolution Foods has served over eight million meals to students in the Boston area! The great thing is, not only are the kids getting their fruits and veggies in, they are actively involved in the whole process! Kids are involved in every aspect of the meal development process, from helping to build the menus and providing regular feedback to the chefs about what worked and what didn’t. In fact, the company’s regional partnership managers and their nonprofit partners survey over 2,000 students every month to gauge satisfaction levels of their meals.

Last week I had the privilege of attending an event at Blackstone Elementary School in Boston to witness Revolution Foods’ new family-style meal program. They are piloting the program in the Boston schools, and so far it’s been a huge success. The children are excited about school lunch, and there has been a 12% increase in lunch participation since launch! Students get to smell the food as soon as they walk in the door. And they’re invested because they have a hand in creating the menu!

With the family-style meal program, there’s authentic flavor and flair, which provides a familiar, home-style experience. We got to see a beautiful menu in action — jerk chicken, pupusas (v), and chile citrus corn. There are also vegetables, fruits, and side dishes available. The kids are able to enjoy a healthy, delicious, and fun lunch that they helped cultivate!

Revolution Foods decided to start this program because they believe family-style meals offer so many benefits. These benefits include:

  • Aroma: Students are able to smell the amazing foods on the menu as they make their way through the service line.
  • Presentation: Revolution Foods’ family-style meals are displayed in a way that allows students to better see, choose, and engage with their food.
  • Engagement: The serving staff have the opportunity to engage with students at the service line, encouraging them to eat more healthy foods and providing them with the experience typically found at home or at a restaurant.
  • Adaptability: Revolution Foods works with any facility, even the most constrained, to deliver this platform to students, minimizing the hassle or intensity of its operations.

Revolution Foods works with local communities on so many levels to provide education to students so they truly understand the importance of healthy food. There are education opportunities in gardening, nutrition, and lifestyle choices, which help empower students to make better choices across the board.

Isn’t this such a smart idea? Getting the kids involved from the very beginning of the process has them truly engaged in their food. When kids care about what they are eating because they are actively involved, they make better choices. We see it with our own kids, don’t we? When they help pick out produce or are part of the whole cooking process, that pride is evident and they are so much more willing to try new things.

Beyond being involved in the menu design, students are actively engaged in the meal itself and are able to use their senses to truly experience it. Students get to see their food beautifully presented and make choices that work for them. They also get to smell what they’ll be eating, and the staff engages with students to help further their education and empower them to make the best choices.

It’s a struggle we all face — getting our kids to eat right and enjoy and own the choices they make. By putting the onus on students from the very beginning and being actively involved in their education, Revolution Foods empowers students to put their health in their hands!

Kid Inspired, Chef Crafted _ Boston Moms Blog
Boston Moms
Boston Moms is a rapidly growing community of moms in the Boston area, providing a collaborative parenting resource written and read by local moms. We are passionate about engaging with our readers online through mom-to-mom content + recommendations, and offline through our exciting local events that connect moms to each other and to local and national businesses they should know about!