In the diverse Inland Empire, more students are finding that school meals can be delicious, nutritious and authentic to their culture.
Across the region, several school districts have made efforts to serve food that reminds some of what’s cooked in the family kitchen and for others exposes them to different tastes and ethnic cuisines. The dishes come through menu additions, partnerships with farms and the hosting of fun cooking competitions.
At Evans Ranch Elementary School in Menifee, for example, students put their culinary skills to the test in a “Chopped” cooking show-style contest while learning about a new culture each week. Other Inland schools have served pozole, India-inspired dishes and Japanese-influenced teriyaki bowls.
The numbers show why schools are reaching beyond hot dogs, burgers and pizza.
-
Savannah Cooney, Ravyn Simmons, Isabel Rodriguez and Ayla Motika prepare an Indian dish Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, during the Menifee Union School District’s finale of the “Global Flavors” nutrition program at Evans Ranch Elementary School. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
1 of 24
Savannah Cooney, Ravyn Simmons, Isabel Rodriguez and Ayla Motika prepare an Indian dish Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, during the Menifee Union School District’s finale of the “Global Flavors” nutrition program at Evans Ranch Elementary School. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
Expand
California Department of Education data shows that Riverside County had more than 80% students of color enrolled in the 2024-25 school year. The majority — 67% — were Hispanic/Latino. In San Bernardino County, students of color comprised more than 85%, with the majority — 68% — also being Hispanic/Latino.
The Tuesday, Dec. 16, Menifee Union School District event was the finale of a series called “Global Flavors: A Multi-Cultural Cooking and Nutrition Adventure for Students.” Student teams prepared a cultural dish scored by guest judges, including the superintendent and school board members, officials said.
Menifee students spent four weeks exploring new foods, preparing dishes and virtually “traveling” to different countries to learn about their cuisine, a news release states. Other elementary schools — including Chester W. Morrison, Quail Valley and Taawila — participated in the series, which involved district nutritionists teaching about foods from Mexico, Japan, the Mediterranean, India and the Philippines. Examples included a bean-and-cheese torta with a street corn dip, sushi and edamame salad, tzatziki sauce and a build-your-own “Buddha Bowl.”
The program aims to “bridge the gap between education and the nutritious, culturally rich meals experienced in the cafeteria.”
“We got to make good food with our friends,” Evans Ranch fourth grader Edward Baldarama said, according to the release.
“The best part of this,” fifth grader Sevannah Cooney said in the release, “is we got to work together and try new food.”
Adriana Lopez, Menifee schools’ director of nutrition services, said the series was part of a fellowship project to add more nutritious meals and cooking education programs.
Each week, the students’ side dishes were paired with a cultural entrée served by district staff. Food came from local vendors. At Tuesday’s final competition, students prepared an Indian meal with Naan bread, rice, Chana masala, curry potatoes and raita sauce.
The goal is to bring scratch-cooked dishes “that reflect the cultural and dietary practices of Menifee’s evolving and diverse student population,” Lopez said.
This is important because, she said, “culturally relevant meals affirm identity and belonging, promoting nutritional equity. The cafeteria is not only a safe place for students, but it is also a place where students of all ethnicities are seen, creating a sense of belonging … food and nutrition bring people together.”
District officials hope the program’s nutrition education supports healthy eating habits while promoting pride and respect for diverse cultures. They hope to continue it at all Menifee elementary schools and eventually at middle schools.
San Bernardino County schools also have similar initiatives.
San Bernardino City Unified School District students participated in a “Summer Foods Around the World” program, exploring global foods. The initiative connected students with fresh produce and the farmers who grow it, officials said on social media. One program included a special blackberry tasting from a farm, where students learned about the fruit’s fibrous benefits and tried a Blackberry Lassi cultural dessert from India and a French toast with blackberry compote, inspired by ancient Rome.
The Val Verde Unified School District, which includes schools in the Perris and Moreno Valley areas, had a “Cooking Up Culture” series to celebrate student diversity while serving cultural meals and farm-fresh snacks.
One such meal came during Hispanic Heritage Month in mid-September through mid-October, when the district’s new central kitchen served homemade pozole to students at Columbia Elementary School in Perris. They celebrated “Pozole Day” with the signature Mexican stew that includes fresh dried chiles and blended spices.
“It was a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” Ginko Lueder, Val Verde’s wellness and marketing coordinator, said in a news release.
A district grant allowed students to also try new cultural foods and snacks, such as tropical dragon fruit, as a way to “tie in science, geography, and healthy habits during lunch,” officials said in a social media post.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Fontana Unified School District served heritage and holiday-inspired meals, officials said on social media. School chefs served “walking tacos” served in chip bags, made with turkey chorizo and roasted corn salsa.
“We are celebrating the diverse cultures of our students through food,” said Adriana Leyva, a Fontana schools nutritionist. “We want to honor tradition, spark curiosity and make lunchtime something to look forward to.”
During October’s National School Lunch Week, themed “Taste the World,” Fontana students also got to try teriyaki chicken bowls inspired by Japanese flavors.
The Colton Joint Unified School District is making efforts to expand its menus with more fresh ingredients and culturally diverse meals. Last school year, a nearly $300,000 grant helped fund field trips to area farms owned and operated by minority farm workers to foster inclusion and diversity in food education programs, a news release states.
Students in the Ontario-Montclair School District celebrated diversity with ethnic foods served at a multicultural family festival in October. Also, the Cucamonga School District encouraged students to honor Hispanic cultures by trying new recipes, from homemade guacamole to arroz con leche. And in the Corona-Norco Unified School District, December meals included sweet Mexican concha breads and monte cristo sandwiches, a savory variation of French croque monsieur.
