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Thanks to partnerships with local and regional farms, our team proudly prepares meals with sustainably sourced ingredients — serving breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students, five days a week.
Our mission is simple: to provide high-quality, nutritious food that fuels both academic success and athletic performance.
During National School Lunch Week from October 13-17, 2025, we want to recognize the hard work and dedication of our Nutrition Services employees.
For the 2025–26 school year, MPUSD is excited to expand the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) to Del Rey Woods, Martin Luther King, Marina Vista, and Ord Terrace elementary schools. This program offers students a daily fresh fruit or vegetable snack, encouraging them to explore new foods, build healthy habits, and share what they learn with their families.
Teachers integrate these snacks into lessons across the curriculum — writing recipes in English, measuring ingredients in math, exploring plant life cycles in science, and mapping where foods grow in social studies. The program also supports on-campus Farmer’s Markets, where students “shop” for seasonal, local produce, making nutrition fun, hands-on, and connected to real-world learning.
At MPUSD, we believe healthy students are better learners. Our Wellness Policy fosters a school environment where nutrition and education go hand in hand, with support from families and the broader community. We invite families to join us by choosing healthy foods and beverages for school celebrations, events, and fundraisers.
Our schools are also making a difference for the environment. Since May 2022, MPUSD’s elementary schools and preschools have been separating food waste for composting at the Monterey Regional Waste Management District in Marina. This effort helps meet state requirements to reduce landfill food waste and lowers methane emissions, a harmful greenhouse gas — all while creating nutrient-rich compost that benefits local parks and farms.
Together, these efforts reflect MPUSD’s commitment to student wellness, environmental sustainability, and lifelong healthy habits.