Nutrition Services Home

Dear 4J Students and Families,

Welcome back! On behalf of the entire Eugene School District 4J Nutrition Services team, we are excited to welcome you to a new school year.

Our kitchens are ready, our teams can’t wait to see students, and we’ve been busy preparing new menus, new choices, and new ways to make school meals welcoming, nourishing, and sustainable.

What Families Should Know This Year

Breakfast and lunch continue to be available at no cost.
Through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), every 4J student may receive one complete breakfast and one complete lunch each school day at no cost, regardless of household income.

One important change from last year: our meal program is no longer all-you-care-to-eat. Seconds, extra milks, and other additional items are purchases and will be charged to the student’s meal account. We encourage families to talk with their students about the choices they would like them to make at school.

Students make their own meal choices.
Our cafeterias are places for students to practice independence. Students choose from the foods available each day while our Nutrition Services staff help them build a complete school meal. Students use their six-digit student number at meal service, so practicing that number at home—especially with younger students—can help make mealtime easier and more confident.

Students who bring lunch from home are welcome to participate, too! They can choose foods from our daily offerings to help round out their home lunch at no cost when their selections together meet school meal requirements.

New Menus, Familiar Favorites

Students will see new recipes and choices this year alongside familiar favorites. We continue to feature whole grain-rich foods, fruits and vegetables, and locally and Oregon-grown products whenever possible.

Families can check our online menus to see what’s being served and help students plan ahead for meals they’re excited to try.

Taking Care of Food—and Each Other

Our No Thank You Tables are back. If a student receives an approved, unopened food or beverage they don’t plan to eat, they may place it on the No Thank You Table for another student to enjoy.

It’s a simple idea with a big purpose: feeding students while reducing waste.

Students also continue to be important partners in composting and keeping food waste out of the landfill.

Taking the Next Step Toward Less Waste

We’re excited to take another big step this year with support from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Our goal is to reduce—and wherever possible eliminate—single-use paper and plastic products in our meal programs by transitioning to durable, reusable serviceware.

This won’t happen overnight. But with thousands of meals served across 4J every school day, small changes add up. We want students to see that taking care of one another and taking care of our environment can be part of something as everyday as eating lunch.

We’re Glad You’re Here

School meals are about more than what is on the tray. The cafeteria is a place where students can make choices, try new foods, build independence, connect with others, and get the nourishment they need to learn and grow.

Whether your student eats with us every day, occasionally, or brings lunch from home, they are welcome at our table.

We invite families to explore our Nutrition Services website to learn more about menus, meal accounts, school meals, special dietary needs, No Thank You Tables, sustainability efforts, and more. If you have questions or need assistance, our Nutrition Services team is here to help.

Here’s to a great school year. We can’t wait to feed you!

Warmly,

Director Jill Cuadros & the 4J Nutrition Services Team