240. Transforming the School Food System with Nora LaTorre & Erin Primer of Eat REAL #FabulousFriends

On today's podcast, we chat with two amazing women about a nonprofit that has quickly grown near and dear to my heart, Eat REAL. I’m joined by Nora LaTorre, the CEO of Eat REAL. Nora is currently working with over 500 schools to solve the root cause of the health crisis facing our children, and has a rapidly scaling climate change solution to boot.Joining her is Erin Primer, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at SanLuis Coastal Unified School District, located in Central California. Erin brings over fifteen years of experience in the food industry, ranging from high quality catering to hospitals and universities. With two young children of her own, she is passionate about upgrading the food that is served in cafeterias across the country. Together, they have removed fifteen pounds of consumed sugar per kid in Erin's school district while reallocating funds to local vendors supplying one hundred percent grass-fed beef burgers (served up every week), local olive oil, kiwis, and more.Eat REAL has a goal to shift $1B of school food purchasing power by 2025 to greener, more sustainable, healthier meals so every child can flourish. If you're interested in making change at the district level or in supporting policy change here in California or throughout the United States, head to eatreal.org and see how you can get involved.We also cover…00:04:19 — Transforming Food Programs in SchoolsHow Eat REAL increases awareness and access to real food in school cafeteriasThe power behind supporting local businesses & advocating for changeWho can participate in being an agent of changeSharing the story behind Eat REAL — small steps to achieve big changeSwapping packaged, processed foods, and centralized distribution to local farmersHow to create a local, diversified food portfolio, and move dollars to your local marketIntegrating food products that are abundant and accessible in your area00:20:49 — Setting Better Food Standards for KidsBoundaries on  sugar intake for kidsDebunking Food Industry Myths with Dr. Robert Lustig #157Eat REAL’s food values and certification standards for schoolsHow parents can advocate for alignment on rules and regulations of school lunchesSpecialty food companies that are conscious about limiting sugar in their productsPrimal Kitchen and Serenity KidsViewing schools as the largest leverage point in our food system to impact kids’ healthEat REAL’s assessment process – valuing nutrition & sustainability00:36:24 — More Plants Please: Getting Kids to Eat More Fruits & VeggiesRaising the bar on national school lunch standards What a typical lunch tray looks like: protein, vegetables, fruit, and grain servingsMaking...