Food Services
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LAUSD is the #1 Breakfast Program in the Nation for the 2nd year in a row!
WE ARE CAFÉ LA!
The Food Services Division of LAUSD
Café LA operates the largest School Breakfast Program and the second largest National School Lunch Program in the United States. We serve over 680,000 meals each day, which include a healthy breakfast, lunch and supper after school. Our mission is “Nourishing Children to Achieve Excellence” and Café LA accomplishes this through our various meal programs that provide healthy nutrients and energy to support the academic and physical growth of children. Over 81% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price meals and we play a vital role in providing nutritional support to students, many of whose main source of nourishment is from Café LA.
About Us
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Students are our #1 customers and Café LA uses their feedback to plan menus. At food testing meetings, students evaluate new food items and Café LA only includes items on the menu that students approve.
To get the word out about the importance of eating at school, our mascot, Café LA Ray, visits students across the District to teach and reinforce healthy lifestyles. Ray has been on move supporting new meal programs such as Hot Supper, which has resulted in over 60,000 additional meals served daily. Café LA’s Hot Supper is one of the first of its kind in the United States and certainly the largest. Once hot supper reaches all our schools, Café LA will be serving over 13 million additional meals annually.
Café LA continually strives to maximize student participation in our meal programs by giving options that appeal to students. Our nutritious school meals maximize students’ academic and physical potential, and we strives to help each student reach his/her full potential.
Top 10 Facts About Café LA
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- Serves over 130 million meals a year, which includes over
- 330,000 breakfasts per day
- 285,000 lunches per day
- 80,000 supper and snack meals per day
- 240,000 summer meals per day
- Plans meals in compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture and California Department of Education nutrition standards
- Supports the District’s Good Food Procurement Resolution that supports a regional food system that is ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible.
- Participates in Meatless Mondays by offering a meatless option on Mondays and daily vegetarian options
- One of the first districts in the United States making vegan options available daily at a growing number of schools
- Implemented the Save-It-For-Later program in schools to minimize food waste by allowing students to save non-perishable food items to eat outside the meal service period
- Participates in the California Thursdays initiative that commits to serving California-grown products on the menu
- Free breakfast for all at schools with the Breakfast in the Classroom Program
- Free hot supper for all at schools with the Hot Supper Program
- Provides My Payment Plus, an online pre-payment tool for parents/guardian to place money on a student’s account and view purchase history and balance.
- Serves over 130 million meals a year, which includes over
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USDA Nondiscrimination Statement:
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
- mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; - fax: (202) 690-7442; or
- email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
- mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture