My Green Lunch brings fresh locally sourced foods to Bay Area schools
San Jose-based company believes kids should eat farm foods not factory foods
My Green Lunch is revolutionizing school meals in California’s Bay Area. The San Jose-based company offers schools high-quality meals that have been locally sourced from California farms and farmers’ markets. My Green Lunch not only provides seasonal, fresh and local ingredients, but meals are cooked in small batches and made with love.
Company CEO Todd Evjenth believes all school foods should come from the farm and not factories. His belief has been echoed by many parents in the United States. According to a 2009 series of articles published in USA Today, the meat served in American schools is so poor that it wouldn’t even meet the quality standard set by fast-food restaurants. Many schools even allow fast-food restaurants to sell lunches directly to school children each day. The unhealthiness of America’s school lunches contributes to childhood obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that nearly 20% of children between six- and 19-years old are obese.
My Green Lunch aims to give school children a balanced meal to help kids become healthier, learn better and to become the best person they can be. My Green Lunch strives to meet the dietary needs and restrictions for all the students at the schools they serve. Lunch offerings for students include meals that are gluten free, nut free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan. My Green Lunch realizes the need to make children aware of nutrition and provide them with healthy choices and sustainable foods. The right nutrition will give them the ability to succeed in school and life.
The environmentally friendly company produces entrees with freshly cut fruits and sliced vegetables. Their school meals are served in compostable containers and with cutlery provided by World Centric.
“Most of our foods and ingredients are purchased from California farms and local food purveyors,” Evjenth said. “We also work directly with locally owned farms and businesses whenever possible. Our meals aren’t just benefitting local kids, but local businesses too.”
In 2010, Evjenth discovered the unhealthy foods Bay Area schools were serving. A former Silicon Valley high-tech salesman, Evjenth was like most parents and had been unaware of what was being served until he began taking his two children to school each day. Although Evjenth had no background in food preparation, he started My Green Lunch to give children the best possible food they could eat.
Students are not the only ones enjoying My Green Lunch’s meals. Teachers and school staff have also found the company’s meals to be a perfect healthy option.
“The variety is fantastic,” Shauna, a teacher at Athena Academy, said. “The menus are detailed, well thought out, and most of all, the food is delicious! I am so glad that the school where I teach has My Green Lunch as our hot lunch provider.”
The start-up company has grown gradually over the years. My Green Lunch started with just two employees in 2012. Thanks to more schools joining the My Green Lunch program, the company has increased in size. In 2018, My Green Lunch boasted 12 employees and it continues to sign up schools that want to add healthy meals to their lunchtime menu. According to Evjenth, the company aims to add more employees as it expands into the 2019/2020 school year.
About My Green Lunch
My Green Lunch prepares fresh school meals to replace the unhealthy factory-made foods kids are often offered each day. All meals are made fresh in small batches and include fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from local and sustainable farms and food purveyors.
Contact details
Company: My Green Lunch
Contact: Bret Bigger, Business Development Manager
Email: bret@mygreenlunch.com
Website: https://mygreenlunch.com
Address: 355 Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA 95126
Telephone: (408) 352-5333