SacFoodies

In 2012, The Food Literacy Center worked with the California legislature to declare September as Food Literacy Month. The goal was to raise awareness about cooking and nutrition education for kids.

Last year, The Food Literacy Center shifted its cooking and nutrition curriculum to online distance learning as schools closed and redirected to online learning. In addition, FLC started collaborating with other nonprofits to identify the most vulnerable families and began fresh produce distributions at the schools they serve.

It’s that time of year again when students make their way back to campus for the start of the school year. Many of us have been students here at Sac Foodies, and we know how essential eating on a budget is. With that in mind, here is a list of college eats in the Sacramento and Davis area. These back-pocket essentials will come in handy when campus dining just won’t cut it. 

Sacramento: 

• Chitas Mexican 
  • Chitas Mexican is a hole-in-the-wall taqueria that serves up fast, affordable, and delicious. Located on the cusp of mid-town, it’s a tremendous post-class spot. 

• Ryujin Ramen House
  • Sometimes, instant ramen just won’t cut it. Ryujin ramen is a cozy ramen house in the heart of mid-town, serving some of the best and most affordable ramen in the area. It has quick service, a good price tag, and is a great place to go with friends when you want to treat yourself. 

• Curry Club
  • Curry Club is an authentic Indian restaurant located Downtown. Although it may be a drive for some students, you get the most bang for your buck here. 

• The Parlor Ice Cream Puffs
  • The Parlor is located on Fair Oak Blvd, about a few minutes away from Sacramento State. If you are ever craving something sweet, this is the place to go. Ice cream and donuts? Ice cream in donuts? What more could you ask for? 

• Makisu Sushi
  • Sushi can be expensive at times, but Makisu is a great affordable option. Located next to Sac State, Makisu is a student staple for extravagant sushi rolls that are usually out of price range. The best part is that Makisu has a “To Go” window, making it even more convenient. 

• Mimosa House
  • Trust me, they have great mimosa’s, but there also have great food. On J Street near the front of campus, Mimosa House is a well-known brunch spot for all students. In addition, their affordable breakfast menu is a must-try! 

• Corti Bro’s 
  • Corti Bro’s is a traditional style Italian market located on Folsom Blvd. Although they aren’t known for affordable groceries, they are known for cheap deli and premade meals. Ranging from Italian and Mediterranean to Indian and Asain dishes, Corti Bro’s has a wide variety of premade meals at their deli counter. 

Davis:

• Four Seasons Gourmet Chinese Restaurant
  • Four Season Gourmet Chinese Restaurant shares a space with a gas station convenience store. When it comes to hidden gems, this is a true diamond-in-the-rough. The portions are huge and options are various. What more can you ask for?

• Raja’s Tandor
  • Raja’s Tandoor, tucked inconspicuously into a complex across the street from the UC Davis campus, serves all-you-can-eat Indian food at a generous price point. Upon entering, you will often find Raja’s wonderful owner warmly greeting customers or insisting you take a 4th helping of fresh naan.

• Davis Meat Lab
  • If you are looking for a budget meal to take home, Davis Meat Lab sells fresh, sustainably sourced beef and pork products. If you can stop by during their limited hours, the enjoyment of preparing your own great meal at a great price goes a long way.

• Pedrick Produce (Dixon)
  • Located off of Highway 80 in Dixon, taking the Pedrick exit will lead you directly to an Eden of gourmet meats, cheeses, nuts, and produce. It is a must-stop for any long drive.

• Sam’s Mediterranean
  • Sam’s closed briefly this summer due to COVID-19, but has made a resounding come-back. Sam’s is favorite among locals for a good reason. Make sure to bring cash and an empty stomach. 

• Taqueria Guadalajara
  • AKA Guads. A new “Guads” taproom opened downtown but this is the one true Guad. The taqueria scene in Davis is highly divided, but Taqueria Guadalara offers the best service, quality, and price. Also, the Sunday morning Pozole will make you forget how tortured Saturday night left you. 

• Sweet and Shavery
  • There is no better way to beat the heat than an ice-cold treat. Sweet and Shavery offer frozen custard and Italian ice, as well as an assortment of sweet crepes. So if you are looking for a way to cool down and are tired of frozen yogurt, give Sweet and Shavery a shot.

Surrounding Area Roundup:

Elk Grove

• Adam’s International Market
• Carlos Mejia’s Curbside Kitchen
• Gio Cha Duc Huong

Folsom

• BJ Cinnamon
• Folsom Pizza and Kabob

Roseville

• Guy’s For Lunch
• Starbread Bakery
• House of Thai Rice & Noodle

In honor of our Food Literacy Center’s 10th anniversary, we at SacFoodies want to share just a slice of the impact they’ve made in the Sacramento area.  

Amber Stott began Food Literacy Center during the 2011 Recession. Her mission was to inspire kids to eat their vegetables – specifically elementary students in low-income neighborhoods – through nutrition, gardening, and active play. All of this was done to improve health, the environment, and the economy.

The California State Legislature had declared September as Food Literacy Month in 2012, and in 2013, The Food Literacy Center was launched. The Food Literacy Center was on a mission to train community members as “Food Genius” instructors to help children conceptualize and practice food literacy. 

In late 2020, Amber launched the Raising Kale Podcast, where she discusses honest food. “If eating your vegetables can make you healthier, listening to Raising Kale will make you smarter–without any snooty side effects.”  

In its 10^th year, the nonprofit has served 11,909 students compared to the 120 in its first. What started with Amber Stott and an intern has now turned into 125 Food Geniuses trained to educate children about the importance of eating their veggies.  

Within this past year, Food Literacy Center established a cooking school that has been six years in the making. Food Literacy Center also received a Farm to School grant through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Amber has been advocating for state-level funding since 2017, and this first of its kind grant was awarded to FLC and SCUSD’s Nutrition Services Department, receiving $367,000. 

Young Change Makers

The Food Literacy Center has made such an impact in the Sacramento community and has produced young changemakers across the city. On the 10^th anniversary, Amber was reunited with Syrai, one of her first FLC students.  

10 years ago, Syrai was a student at Capitol Heights Academy elementary school in Oak Park, Sacramento. She was one of the first students to participate in FLC, and Amber was her instructor. 

Syrai had her first persimmon in her food literacy class. She later went to the grocery store with her parents on the hunt for the fruit she fell in love with earlier that day. But Syrai lived in a food desert, and the only store in her neighborhood didn’t have what she was looking for.  

Syrai is 18 years old now and finished her first year of college at UC Santa Cruz. She was inspired by her childhood filled with healthy, fresh food and wants to find a solution to food deserts.

Celebrate wit FLC!

Want to celebrate FLC’s 10^th anniversary? Donate! 

“Funding goes directly to programs for children. We reach 100+ students each week! Programs include: afterschool food literacy classes, take-home STEM Recipe Kits, weekly online cooking demos, and virtual cooking classes. In a community where 40% of our students face childhood obesity, food insecurity, and other diet-related diseases, it’s critical that we teach them to build healthy habits that will stick with them for life.” 

Donate here.  

Get Involved 

Do you want to get involved with Food Literacy Center? Check out their opportunities here, and help kids get inspired to eat their veggies!  

To learn more about The Food Literacy Center, check out their website.  

Whether your kids are still schooling from home or you’re sending them back to campus, the start of a new school year always adds a little more chaos into parents’ schedules. Some of that chaos can revolve around trying to prepare lunches or snacks that are kid-friendly, convenient, and nutritious. With that, the SacFoodies team put our heads together to round up some of our favorite foods and share a few ideas that we hope can make packing lunches easier on you.

SacFoodes’ Favorite Snacks

• Tillamook Snack Portions

Tillamook (disclaimer: a FleishmanHillard client) offers single-serve snack portions of their delicious cheeses! These convenient little packs come in four different options: Sharp White Cheddar, Medium Cheddar, Colby Jack, and Smoked Black Pepper. Throw them into your kids’ lunchboxes or have them in a convenient location in your fridge for your kids to grab when they need a satisfying snack.

• California Prunes

If you haven’t yet introduced your kids to the wonders of California Prunes, now’s the time! They offer vitamins, minerals, and other healthy nutrients, plus they are deliciously sweet with no-added sugar. You can pack ‘em into small zip-top bags or cute containers for your kids to take on-the-go. Or, if you’re feeling a little more ambitious, you and the fam can make these easy Chocolate Energy Balls to enjoy throughout the week or try these California Prune Pinwheels for a quick afterschool snack. For more creative ways to incorporate prunes into your meals and snacks, check out our ideas available at CaliforniaPrunes.org (another FH client!)

• 

• Bumble Bee Tuna

Always on the run with your kids to their practices, rehearsals, or other activities? Bumble Bee Seafoods (yes, another FH client!) offers conveniently packed snack kits that can help your kids fuel up before they jump into their afterschool activities. Bumble Bee’s Snack on the Run! Tuna Salad Kits include ready-to-eat tuna, crackers, and a handy spoon. With that, your kids can get the energy they need while keeping their mess to a minimum.

These snacks are great options – but what if your kids want more variety in their lunch boxes? No problem! One great idea is to give them choices. Vanessa – one of our team members – learned that giving her son a variety of choices for each component of his lunch would increase the likelihood that he would actually eat what was packed. “Instead of me asking a million questions about what he wants or doesn’t want, I created these trays in the fridge and categories in the pantry so he can ‘shop’ for his own food.” In her kitchen, she set up designated areas for him to choose from an array of beverages, extra proteins, fruits, snacks, and treats, which he packs along with his usual sandwich.

Looking at this from my good ol’ Dietitian perspective, in Vanessa’s situation, I see two great things that she achieved:

1. As mom, she chose the types of food offered and made them readily available in organized and accessible sections of her kitchen.
2. She let her son flex his independence by allowing him to make choices about the specifics of his lunch.

Both can make a difference when you want to make sure your children are choosing and eating nutritious foods, especially when they’re at school. Making certain foods more available (or less available) can help guide your child’s food choices. Letting them choose from different options lets them take personal ownership of what they eat for lunch (and gives you a less to do!).

This same idea can be applied to younger children too, but in smaller ways. You can give your littlest ones a choice between apples or oranges for their lunch. Both are great option and your child still feels like they get a say in what they eat and are more likely to eat it. Moreover, if you have a mix of younger and older kids, have your older ones set an example and teach the little ones!

Happy New School Year!