Locations
Here’s where we’ve currently taken root around the community. Nibble by nibble, we’ll go nationwide.
SALINAS
- Spring 2021
Alisal Community Head Start
1419-1437 Del Monte Ave., Salinas, CA 93905
Cesar Chavez Elementary
250 Apple Avenue, Greenfield, CA 9927
First Steps Head Start
1145 Acosta Street, Salinas, CA 93905
Fremont Head Start
1255 East Market Street, Salinas, CA 93905
Gonzales Head Start
550 5th Street, Gonzales, CA 93926
Greenfield Elementary
495 El Camino Real, Greenfield, CA 93927
La Gloria Elementary
200 Elko Street, Gonzales, CA 93926
Martin Luther King Head Start
925 North Sanborn St., Salinas, CA 93905
Mary Chapa Head Start
490 El Camino Real, Greenfield, CA 93927
Monterey County Head Start
901 Blanco Circle, Salinas, CA 93901
37,730,522
POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE SO FAR!
Interested in learning a little bit more about our impact in the communities we serve? Here's the scoop! ➡️
Since its inception in 2012, Brighter Bites has delivered more than 40,000,000 pounds of fresh produce and hundreds of thousands of nutrition education materials to more than 475,000 individuals (including teachers) in multiple cities across the country. 🎉🙌
A majority of children in the United States do not consume sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables. These consumption rates are significantly lower among minority populations who live in underserved areas known as food deserts: places without access to fresh produce. So we bring good food to where kids already are: preschools, elementary schools, and summer camps. 🏫
Every week, Brighter Bites heads to these sites and distributes fresh, seasonal produce for families and teacher to pick up and take home. Each week of programming, we provide approximately 50 servings of fruits and vegetables, weighing 20-25 pounds, for the families we serve. 📦🥦🌽🍇
Currently we are serving over 120 schools across SEVEN cities! Some of our most frequently distributed produce items include: apples, carrots, oranges, pears, potatoes, bananas, cucumbers, limes, tomatoes, onions, and pineapple. Now that is big and healthy impact! 🍎🥕🍊🍐🥔🍌🥒🍋🍅🧅🍍
#BrighterBitesImpact #BrighterBites #WeAreBrighterBites #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #Nonprofit #NutritionEducation #FunFoodExperience #JoyOfFresh #EatHealthy
Mondays aren't so bad when you have a Brighter Bites box of produce to look forward to! 📦🍎🍍🥦🥕
Brighter Bites distributions are outdoor drive thru and walk up lines this year. They are safe and contactless, and not to mention fun and healthy for the whole family! We cannot wait to see our Brighter Bites families this week! What do you think is in the box this week? 🤔📦
#BrighterBites #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #NutritionEducation #FunFoodExperience
Another successful week of distributions across our cities this week! Here's a look at what our teams and volunteers have been up to. 👏📦🥬🌽🍅🥦🍌🥕
Despite the winter weather challenges, our teams are ready to serve! ☀️
#BrighterBites #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #NutritionEducation #HealthyEating #Nonprofit #BrighterBitesHouston #BrighterBitesSalinas #BrighterBitesDallas #BrighterBitesNYC #BrighterBitesDC #WeAreBrighterBites
Today's #ThankfulThursday shout out goes to our wonderful volunteers at William Paca Elementary in @brighterbitesdc . 😀
SNOW matter what the weather, these volunteers have shown their passion, dedication, and excitement to serve our community. ❄️ Thank you for showing up each week to support our mission of creating communities of health through fresh food. 🍎 Each week, these amazing volunteer help serve our 140+ families at William Paca Elementary. Keep up the good work! THANK YOU!
#BrighterBites #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #Nonprofit #Volunteering #BrighterBitesVolunteer
We are thrilled to share that we’ve been selected as a #VoicesDMV Community Action Awards winner for our Washington, D.C. program! Thank you @communityfndn for helping us spark change and turn our ideas into action to enhance our community!
#AdvocacyToAction #CommunityAction
It’s official! 🎉
Brighter Bites has officially headed West and has its first distribution TODAY in California. We could not be more excited to partner with the Salinas community in sharing our love of fresh produce, nutrition education, and a fun food experience!
The fertile fields of the Salinas Valley (also known as the “Salad Bowl of the World”) are home to numerous growers, and the headquarters of many Brighter Bites partners making it an ideal location for expansion to a seventh market. The Salinas area is known as the "produce capital" of the country and therefore is a natural fit for the organization to work even more closely with local growers, shippers, and organizations to continue the momentum of giving back to a community that has given so much. Brighter Bites looks forward to seizing on this opportunity to improve the health of the students and families in the Salinas area by providing nutrition education and access to free, fresh produce being grown so close (in fact- 30% of the world’s lettuce is grown in the Salinas Valley!). 🥬🍅🥑🥦
Brighter Bites’ launch in the region is made possible through the support of several key partners, including @riverfreshfarms, who is providing logistical support, and critical funding partners like the @walmart Foundation, @yourtaylorfarms @missionavocados, JV Smith Companies, and @churchbrothersfarms. Other donors, including those who are providing produce, include D’Arrigo, @dolepics @bragafreshfarms, Nunes Company, Inc., Muzzi Family Farms, and @veggiesmadeeasy .
For our first semester in Salinas, we are partnering with three school districts including Gonzales Unified School District, Greenfield Union School District, and Monterey County Head Start. Brighter Bites will continue to grow the program in the Salinas region into the summer and fall.
Follow along @brighterbitessalinas to see more of our programming in Salinas! We can't wait to share more our story and impact with you! 🙌
#BrighterBites #BrighterBitesSalinas #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #nonprofit #ProduceDistribution #NutritionEducation #FunFoodExperience
Brighter Bites is honoring history this month and celebrating alongside our school communities. We love seeing what our school partners are doing within their communities to celebrate the significance of this month!
#BlackHistoryMonth
🍓Strawberries are red,
Blueberries are blue.
Mangoes are sweet🥭,
and we think you are too!
♥️ -The Brighter Bites crew!
#HappyValentinesDay
Brighter Bites is wishing our community a Happy Lunar New Year!
#LunarNewYear
This #WellnessWednesday we are celebrating the avocado!
Avocados are in peak season. 😋🥑
What does that mean❓ When fruits and vegetables are in season it means that they are the most flavorful and affordable.
✨It can be tricky to choose the right avocado, but here are a few of our tips!
🥑 Avocados are available year round like most fruits and vegetables these days, but January through March is the best time of year for the best flavor.
🥑Look for avocados that are green and firm if you won’t be using them for a few days or avocados that are
black and evenly yield to gentle touch for immediate use.
🥑To ripen avocados, you may leave them out at room temperature until they soften.
🥑Look for avocados without bruises, blemishes, soft spots, or very mushy flesh.
Fun fact: Avocado is a fruit. 🥑😎
#BrighterBites #EatinSeason #FreshProduce #Fruit #NutritionEducation #Nonprofit #HealthyTips #HealthyFact #Avocado
It's National Pizza Day 🍕🎉, so we are sharing our Zucchini Pizza recipe and a healthy tip for you:
Did you know that you can make pizza without a flour crust? That's right! These yummy zucchini pizzas uses thin slices of zucchini as the crust! This recipe is flavorful, easy to make, full of nutrition, and budget-friendly. 🥫🧅It is sure to fit in with your health goals this year. 💪
Check out the recipe below, and let us know what you think!
INGREDIENTS:
3 medium zucchini
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 small jar low sodium pizza or marinara sauce
¼ cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
your favorite vegetable toppings (onion, bell pepper, olives, or mushrooms)
DIRECTIONS
Turn on oven broiler, or preheat to 425°F. Wash zucchini and cut into slices about ¼ inches thick. Lightly sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, and place on baking sheet. Spread a small amount of sauce on each zucchini slice, then top with cheese and your choice of veggies. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, or bake until cheese is melted. Serve immediately!
#BrighterBites #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #HealthyEating #HealthyCooking #RecipeOfTheDay #TuesdayTips #NationalPizzaDay #NutritionEducation #EatHealthy #BBHouston #BBAustin #BBDallas #BBNYC #BBWashingtonDC #BBSWFL
Looking for delicious and nutritious appetizers for this Super Bowl weekend at home?? 🏈
Here are a few of our favorite dips perfect for the occasion-
• Better Than Ranch Dip
• Black Bean Dip
• Corn Guacamole
• Poblano Salsa
😋🥕🥑🌮
Pair these dips with sliced veggies, tortillas chips, or as a toppings on tacos.
Visit our website for the full recipes. ➡️https://brighterbites.org/recipe/
What are you snacking on this Super Bowl Sunday? Comment below with the healthy recipes! You’ll be making at home!
#BrighterBites #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #HealthyCooking #HealthyEating #RecipeOfTheDay #SuperBowlSnacks
Think we are crazy for putting clothes on vegetables? We don’t CARROT all! 🥕😉
We love putting smiles on our families’ faces, and this guy sure did this week at Beacon Heights Elementary in DC! 🤩
@brighterbitesdc
#brighterbites #brighterbitesdc #freshproduce #fruits #vegetables
Can you guess what is special about today's "date"⁉️
It is #NationalMedjoolDateDay! 🌴 To help celebrate National Medjool Date Day we would like to share a quick tip about dates:
Did you know that the white spots that occur on dates are not mold, but the date’s natural sugar moving to the surface.😋
For more tips on dates and other delicious fruits and vegetables visit our website at www.brighterbites.org/tips-tools 🤩
@ndmedjooldates
#BrighterBites #NationalMedjoolDateDay #FreshProduce #NutritionEducation #Nonprofit #HealthyFact
Just a friendly reminder that it is National Carrot Cake Day! 🥕🍰
To celebrate, why not whip up a batch of our Carrot Cupcakes?
INGREDIENTS
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup honey
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup unsalted light butter
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots (about 5 carrots)
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• Cooking spray or paper liners
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl mix (preferably with an electric whisk or beaters) the applesauce, honey, butter, egg, sugar, and vanilla together. Then, add flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be fairly thick at this point. Finally, add the carrots, raisins, and walnuts, and stir until everything is well incorporated. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray or insert paper liners. With a spoon evenly divide batter to muffin pan. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top.
See the full recipe here ➡️
https://brighterbites.org/recipe/carrot-cupcakes/
#BrighterBites #freshproduce #vegetables #HealthyBaking #HealthyEating #RecipeOfTheDay #NationalCarrotCakeDay #WellnessWednesday
Southwest Florida Friends!
Save the Date! You’re invited to join the Naples Children & Education Foundation on Saturday, January 30th at 7:00PM on WINK-TV. The one-hour televised event will highlight organizations it has funded and the systems of care it has built to support children like ours in Collier County. Please join us and help improve the life of a child—you won’t even have to get off the couch to do it.
Good news for our friends outside of Florida- The event will also be livestreamed online for all to see! Please visit https://www.ncefkids.com/ to tune in live on Saturday at 7:00PM EST.
@ncef_nwwf @brighterbites_swfl
#ItsAllForTheKids #NCEFNaples #NWWF21 #NCEFkids #BrighterBites #BrighterBitesSWFL #partnership #nonprofit #FreshProduce #fruits #vegetables #NutritionEducation
This week, our Houston families received dates in their boxes, and there was nothing but excitement for this fun fruit! 🤩 Thank you @ndmedjooldates for your generous donation to our Brighter Bites families. We were able to share this tasty treat with over 665 families across 5 of our schools! These sweet smiles say it all! 🤎
@brighterbiteshou
#BrighterBites #NaturalDelights #partnership #FreshProduce #FruitsAndVegetables #fruits #nonprofit #NutritionEducation #HealthyEating #FunFoodExperience
We are so honored to be a #KrisStops Mavs Foundation Grant recipient! 💙🤍🏀
This past year, the Dallas Mavericks and Kristaps Porzingis continued the #KrisStops community initiative to fight childhood hunger. For every block Porzingis made during the 2019-2020 season, he personally donated $500 to the MAVS Foundation. This past fall, Brighter Bites was honored to receive $10,000 from this initiative. Thank you @mavsoffcourt @dallasmavs @Kporzee for your generous support for our mission to create communities of fresh food in the Dallas area! We'd say this was a SLAM DUNK for our families! 🏀
#KrisStops #BrighterBites #BrighterBitesDallas #partnership #nonprofit #freshproduce #nutritioneducation
Today we honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
#MLKDay #MartinLutherKingDay
Thank you @sweetgreen for choosing Brighter Bites Austin as a social impact partner this year! 💚
We love getting to share this joy with our Brighter Bites communities in Austin! Thank you for your generous donation of 315 colorful and healthy salads to our Brighter Bites families. 🥗🥬🥑🍅🥦🥕🥒
You sure are making a tasty impact on our communities!
#BrighterBites #SweetGreen #partnership #FreshProduce #FruitsAndVegetables #fruits #vegetables #nonprofit #NutritionEducation #HealthyEating #FunFoodExperience