We recently had the chance to connect with Janelle Manzano and have shared our conversation below.
Janelle, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
School Food is often stigmatized to be “gross”, “not fresh”, “unhealthy”, and more. The Farm to School movement in our nation, especially in California, is the catalyst in changing the perspective around school food. Farm to School focuses on 3 entities: purchasing local products, increasing food literacy, and supporting school gardens. When integrated with a school district’s Food & Nutrition Services Department (FNS), is a dynamic that can’t be beat.
More and more FNS teams are prioritizing fresh, local ingredients as part of their menus. This isn’t just fruits and veggies either – they are purchasing local proteins, dairy, and grain items too. They are investing in local farmers, ranchers, and businesses.
Here in CA, we are also lucky to have state grants that allow us to upgrade kitchen equipment, train staff, and provide nutrition education opportunities to students. On top of that, CA provides free universal breakfast and lunch for every student, saving families roughly $1,500 per child each year.
Tufts University research has even found that school meals today are among the healthiest meals available to children nationwide. Behind every plate served are countless hours of menu planning, recipe testing, and compliance with strict federal guidelines, all while making sure meals stay delicious, culturally relevant, and appealing to students.
So while there are many layers to School Food, when you peel them all back you’ll find a team of passionate, dedicated people who take pride in feeding students every single day.
I encourage parents, teachers, and students alike to check out your school cafeteria. Ask questions. Taste the food. Meet the people behind the counter. And most importantly, take a moment to rethink what school food really means, because it might just surprise you.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Janelle Manzano and I am the Farm to School Program Specialist with San Diego Unified Food & Nutrition Services. We are the 2nd largest school district in California, with over 200 school sites to feed. Our department is also know as Sandi Coast Cafe where we prioritize meals that are “California Grown”, “nutritious and delicious”, and “served with love.” These 3 core messages help guide everything we do for our students.
I have been in my role for about 7 years now and I absolutely love it. My main role is to provide nutrition and food education opportunities to our students and communities. Over the past few years, I have expanded or created various programs to help connect our school meals to the classrooms to help the students understand what’s on their plate, especially when it’s from the cafeteria. I also aim to encourage them to make thoughtful, healthy food choices, inspire them to be curious about their food, and also be appreciative of those that are involved in any capacity to our food system.
Some of my programs include teaching nutrition presentations, both in-person and virtually. During the pandemic, I started hosting online classes and they just stuck ever since. Each month, about 500 students tune in to learn about the fruit and veggie of the month. Other programs I have are more teacher-led. We have taste kits, culinary kits, blender bikes, and seed packets available for them to enhance their classroom learning and experiences. Programs like these help us scale up our impact across our large district!
A major part of why I am able to do what I do, is because of state grant funding. We were able to secure $2.5 million dollars in Farm to School grants to support this program.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
A common challenge we face in school nutrition is that students don’t have enough time to eat. Often these days, it’s not the quality of our food that results in the food waste, but it’s the fact that students don’t have time to eat their meal. This is heart breaking because at a young age, it already creates a societal and personal habit where we rush through our meals. When we rush through meals, we lose more than just nourishment — we lose connection.
There are many cultural, religious and personal traditions built around the act of sharing a meal together. Meals are meant to be eaten slowly, to be enjoyed. You should be able to taste the food and the love that was put into growing, transporting, preparing, and even composting what’s on our plate. It’s supposed to be a circular – starting and ending in the soil.
I know for me, my fondest memories are times I’ve spent enjoying food with loved ones. From themed dinner parties, learning a new recipe, or going out to try a “viral” dish I saw online. Food is exciting, food brings people together.
The reality is that most students have only 20–30 minutes for lunch — and that includes walking to the cafeteria, waiting in line, chatting with friends, and finding a seat. By the time they finally start eating, there’s little time left to actually enjoy their food. When students don’t have enough time to eat, they often return to class still hungry, making it harder to focus and learn.
Schools can start to restore this bond by first acknowledging the issue. Some have adopted “recess before lunch,” so students aren’t rushing to finish in order to play. Others have explored strategies like “speed lines” or hiring additional staff to reduce wait times (though each comes with its own challenges).
Overall, I think as a society we need to break this habit of rushing through our meals. We need to slow down – look at the food, smell the aromas, taste the flavors of the food in front of us, and appreciate the effort and care behind each bite. I’m still learning to do this more often myself, but I believe this mindfulness starts at young age. When we give students time to truly eat, we give them time to connect — with their food, with others, and with themselves.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Stay happy – surround yourself with good people and good food.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Farm to School (F2S) for sure! I know… predictable. But I truly believe in this movement and the changes happening in School Nutrition. This area of work is so unique and it changes all the time. Right now is such an amazing time to be in school food because school districts across the nation are prioritizing ways to make it better, tastier, and more exciting than ever. In California, there is also funding to help support these goals.
Today you are seeing commitments to purchasing local ingredients on the menu, working with chefs to create recipes, innovating ways to enhance better cafeteria environments, and more. F2S is not only changing how school food is being served but also providing students with opportunities to learn about food and health across all subject matters and life skills from mental & physical health, sustainability, economics, history, science, etc.
Of course, change in the public sector takes time. Policy shifts, procurement rules, and state or federal requirements can make progress slower than we’d like — but they also ensure accountability and equity across school districts. But seeing a child get excited about eating their first green plum, having a student club request a salad bar in their cafeteria, working with farmers who are excited to grow food for young students… all makes it worthwhile.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Haha, I often reflect back on how I was raised and look at what I do now in my career then think “yeah, this makes sense.”
I was raised in my grandpa’s backyard and kitchen. I would help him water his garden and harvest things like eggplant, onions, tomatoes, string beans, and more. Then I would do my homework while he cooked dinner. Smelling the onion and garlic getting sautéed, hearing it sizzle. In a while, he’d give me fried chicken skin as a pre-dinner snack. After dinner we’d have a “tea party” (yes that’s what he called it!) Black Lipton Tea with lots of sugar. We’d have it with either Sky Flake Crackers, bread and butter, or shortbread cookies from a blue tin.
At night before bed, my dad sang me a Filipino folk song called “Bahay Kubo” — a song about a small nipa hut with a garden growing the essential veggies used in classic Filipino dishes.
Flash forward to today and my career in school nutrition and Farm to School. From farm field trips, nutrition classes, taste tests, and events – I hope I can spark as much interest for food in my students.
How lucky am I to be able to give them these types of experiences like I had?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sandiegounified.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=27732478&pageId=41193332
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandicoastcafe/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-manzano-mph-40887413a/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandiCoastCafe/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaT1jf8pbAr3Up1CzKcfcQA?disable_polymer=true
Image Credits
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