Western Nevada County school districts are getting ready to join a recent new statewide effort to get students to eat more nutritious and lower-calorie food. Food service directors in the Nevada Joint Union High School District say over 10-thousand students will have what they call a “tasty surprise” on Thursday: a meal made from foods grown locally in California and prepared just for them. One of those directors, Theresa Ruiz, says as California Thursdays continues to grow, these meals will become a regular part of menus…

click to listen to Theresa Ruiz

The California Department of Agriculture says less than one in ten children consumes enough fruits and vegetables a day, yet studies show that kids are more likely to eat nutritious school meals if the food is fresh and attractive…

click to listen to Theresa Ruiz

Ruiz says there has been a movement over the last several years in Western Nevada County to source local, fresh ingredients for school meals. Options THIS Thursday range from Asian noodles with lime chili sauce and spring vegetables.. to a Yucatan chicken wrap…to a California-ingredient pizza. A spinach-walnut-strawberry salad will be served to K-8 students.