SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— The San Francisco Unified School District began serving freshly prepared, healthier meals to tens of thousands of students this week as it moves to improve nutrition.

A new meal provider contract with Oakland-based Revolution Foods went into effect as students returned from winter break. The company’s CEO Kristin Gross Richmond said all of their food is made fresh daily and within a 24-hour period of being served so that it doesn’t have to be frozen.

Compliments filled the lunchroom at Tenderloin Elementary School when 4th graders said things like, “it’s really good,” and “it’s better.”

Richmond said the SFUSD contract is about a 33,000 meal a day contract, which is “extremely significant and important” to them she added. The contract with San Francisco’s school district is the company’s largest since they were founded seven years ago.

School Superintendent Richard Carranza said the previous vendor sent frozen meals from the Midwest. When the contract with that vendor expired they wanted to find a fresher, healthier alternative he said.

“From parents I’m hearing, ‘I don’t have to pack lunches for my kids anymore,’ and from students I’m hearing, ‘wow, this tastes like real food’. I think that kids say the darnedest things, but they’ll always tell the truth,’ Carranza said.

Revolution Foods currently serves about 200,000 meals a day in 11 states.

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