Our Process
Eight steps to Brighter Bites.
Step 1
Engage
Step 2
Select the
Select the
Week’s Variety
Step 3
Load Up!
Step 4
Bag the
Bag the
Produce
Step 5
Teach
Teach
Brighter Choices
Step 6
Sample
Sample
& Share
Step 7
Take Home
Take Home
the Fun
Step 8
Replicate
Engage
Select
Load
Bag
Teach
Sample
Take
Replicate
Step One
Engage
Communities
It all starts with the right relationships. We engage schools, communities, and partners and introduce them to our Brighter Bites model: produce distribution + nutrition education + a fun food experience.
From local farmers to leading university researchers, teachers to three-generation families, it takes teamwork to build a culture of health. Brighter Bites was built to scale, and we make it as easy as possible for communities.
A LITTLE HEART PLUS ONE MAGIC FORMULA
HEALTHY CHANGE: LOCALLY SOWN, NATIONALLY GROWN!
Step Two
Select the
Week’s Variety
Our produce suppliers donate fresh fruits and vegetables to our partnering food banks. Each week, our staff chooses 8 to 12 different types of produce from the huge warehouse coolers, and the food is specially tagged for Brighter Bites.
Working closely with leaders like Sysco not only helps us ensure that a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are available for Brighter Bites, but also that the food meets stringent standards of safety, quality, and traceable tastiness—no matter its shape or size!
WE CHOOSE OUR PRODUCE AS CAREFULLY AS WE CHOOSE OUR PARTNERS
WE EMBRACE THE FUNFAMILIAR, FROM SWISS CHARD TO STARFRUIT!
Step Three
Load Up!
Massive pallets teeming with bags and cases of fresh produce for Brighter Bites are loaded by warehouse staff into a large box truck. It is hard work: each truckload can feed hundreds of families.
Each pallet carries 1500 lbs of fresh produce
The truck can hold 8-10 pallets (enough to feed 400 families!)
Step Four
Bag the
Produce
Once the truck arrives at the site, it is typically unloaded into a gym or cafeteria. Unified in our bright red t-shirts, Brighter Bites staff, parents, and community volunteers work as an assembly line to unpack and divide the variety of produce into bags.
Each family and teacher receives two bags of fresh fruits and vegetables. Staples like potatoes, onions, carrots, and apples are typically included—along with unique seasonal picks that give families the chance to take home top crops like kale, kiwi, beets, plums, or rutabaga.
TWO BAGS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER FAMILY
200-800 BAGS WILL BE LINED UP ONCE THE PROCESS IS COMPLETE!
Step Five
Teach
Brighter Choices
Also added into the bags are nutrition handbooks, tip sheets, and recipes that incorporate that week’s fresh produce. These bilingual materials are chock full of helpful info and advice, from kitchen safety to smarter snacking to making a healthier menu.
All educational materials are linked to children’s in-class nutrition lessons from CATCH and other evidence-based, coordinated school health programs that we help implement via our specially-trained staff.
Nearly 100 bilingual recipes exist in our database
CATCH IS BACKED BY NEARLY 25 YEARS OF UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
Step Six
Sample
& Share
Let the fun food experience begin! Our team prepares healthy, tasty “brighter bites” for families to sample, using one or more of the produce items being shared that week.
The recipe for that very demo also waits in the bags, ready to be taken home and tried out. Kids and their families taste new dips, soups, snacks, main dishes, and more—and they never leave without a stop at our happenin’ tattoo station.
OUR SIGNATURE SAMPLES ARE CONCOCTED BY IN-HOUSE NUTRITIONISTS
HULK SMOOTHIE, ANYONE?
Step Seven
Take Home
the Fun
When all is said and done, each family and teacher walks away with a pair of bags that contains approximately 50 servings of fresh, seasonal produce, plus tips and tools for how to use it.
For one week for a family of four, that’s two extra servings of fruits and vegetables a day—at no extra cost to our participating families.
Light fare, heavy load: one set of bags = 20-25 lbs!
2 extra servings of fruits & vegetables a day
At no extra cost
Step Eight
Replicate
This process repeats for 16 weeks during the school year and 8 weeks during the summer. Our scalable co-op model allows us to bring Brighter Bites to more schools and camps each season, creating a culture of health wherever we go.
DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND SUMMERS
WE’VE PASSED OUT OVER 15 MILLION POUNDS OF PRODUCE TO MORE THAN 40,000 FAMILIES
Happy Thanksgiving from your Brighter Bites family! 🧡
Looking for some healthy recipes to cook this Thanksgiving?
From apples and Brussels sprouts to potatoes and sweet potatoes, we've got you covered! Before you grocery shop, be sure to look at our healthy holiday sides for some delicious and nutritious bites for the whole family!
• Apple Cake
• Crafty Mac 'n Cheese
• The Perfect Pear and Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Sautéed Brussels Sprouts w/ Apples and Pecans
• Sneaky Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Harvest Salad
And so many more recipes on our website made for YOU!
https://brighterbites.org/recipes/
#brighterbites #recipeoftheday #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #thanksgivingrecipes #healthysides #JoyofFresh #HaveaPlant
This year, we are wishing you and your family a healthy and safe Thanksgiving. 🧡🍎🌽🍠🥔🥕We can all play a part in making sure our holidays are safe for everyone! The @cdcgov has provided some steps for us all to consider to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season.
For more details about how you and your family can stay safe over the holiday, please see the full article here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
Este año, te deseamos a usted y su familia un muy feliz y seguro Thanksgiving. 🧡🍎🌽🍠🥔🥕¡Entre todos podemos hacer nuestra parte para asegurar en tener unas fiestas seguras! @cdcgov ha dado unos consejos para que consideremos para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19 durante estas fiestas. Para mas detalles en como mantener fiestas seguras, por favor haga clic en este articulo: https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
Limes and peppers and pears. OH MY! 🍋 🌶️ 🍐
Have you seen our Brighter Bites boxes lately? This produce is GORGEOUS! Each week of programming we give our Brighter Bites families ~50 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. This fall, we are partnered with 114 schools across six cities...now that is a lot of produce!
#brighterbites #nonprofit #nutritioneducation #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #JoyofFresh #HaveaPlant
“By giving kids access to fresh, nutritious food and showing them how to make the most of it, we help turn healthy habits into something even better: healthy lifestyles.” - Lisa Helfman, Founder
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands. We teach them how to use it and track their behavior change. We make it fun. We make it free. And we make it happen via a simple, three-part formula: Produce Distribution + Nutrition Education + Fun Food Experience
This #ThankfulThursday we are so grateful for our Brighter Bites families and their loyalty in showing up to try new fruits and vegetables each week. Thank you, Brighter Bites families, for being a part of our community of health through fresh food!
#brighterbites #freshproduce #nonprofit #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #HaveaPlant #JoyofFresh
November is National Pomegranate Month, and we love how this fruit makes everything pop💥 in color and flavor!
Check out our Popping Pomegranate Salsa🍐 and Sweet Potato Harvest Salad🍠🍎 recipes on our website for a taste of this delicious fruit during its peak season!
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationalpomegranatemonth #pomegranate #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking
We are beyond excited to partner with @goodfoods to "Sack Hunger"!🧡 During the 2020 college football season, Good Foods will contribute to Brighter Bites for each sack made by the Arkansas Razorbacks, Minnesota Gophers, and Wisconsin Badgers throughout each game. It is an honor to be a part of this partnership! 🏈🍎🍊🥑
#sackhunger #partnership #nonprofit #brighterbites #freshproduce #nutritioneducation
SPREAD the word! It's National Sandwich Day! 🥪
So, today we are sharing our favorite sandwich spread ➡️ Put-it-on-Anything Pesto. 🌿 We think you'll love it so much that you'll put it on anything! 😉
Full recipe below and up on our website! https://brighterbites.org/recipe/put-it-on-anything-pesto/
INGREDIENTS
• 7 cups of spinach
• ½ cup almonds, whole or crushed
• Juice of one lemon
• ¾ cup of leeks (white and pale green parts)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Thoroughly wash the leeks before using by slicing the leek and placing the sliced pieces into a bowl of water. Once the dirt is removed, dry the sliced leeks in a paper towel. Place the spinach, almonds, and lemon juice in the food processor. Process until finely chopped. Then, add all other ingredients and process until the pesto has a smooth texture. Serve as a spread on sandwiches, a sauce for pasta, a topping for grilled chicken, or as an appetizer with carrot sticks.
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationalsandwichday #pesto #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking
No tricks here! Just healthy treats! 🍇🍌🍍🍓
Our DC team dressed up this week as fruits and veggies while distributing fresh fruits and veggies to our families, and we can't think of a better treat than that!
Hope you have a safe and healthy Halloween!
#brighterbites #nonprofit #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthytreats
Cooler weather is upon us and so is pumpkin bread season! 🍂
In honor of National Pumpkin Day, we are sharing one of our favorite recipes, our Jack-o-Lantern Loaf! This bread is super tasty and nutritious and sure to please the whole family! Enjoy as a breakfast treat or a sweet snack. Happy baking!
Full recipe here ➡️ https://brighterbites.org/recipe/jack-o-lantern-loaf/
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationalpumpkinday #pumpkinbread #pumkin #jackolantern #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #healthybaking
Grateful for another successful week of programming in New York City! This year, we are serving 12 schools and about 3,000 families Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan! 🍎🌃
#brighterbites #brighterbitesnyc #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #nutritioneducation #nonprofit
🤫 Today we are sneaking some mushrooms into our turkey burgers for #nationalmushroomday 🍄🍔 becuase we think that mushrooms go with burgers just as much as fries go with burgers!
See the full recipe on our website: https://brighterbites.org/recipe/turkey-mushroom-burgers/
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationalmushroomday #turkeyburger #turkerymushroomburger #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking
It's National Dessert Day, and you know we can't miss out on celebrating this day with some delicious and healthy desserts! We've picked a few of our favorites here just for you!
All of our dessert recipes incorporate at least one fruit or veggie for added flavor, sweetness, and nutrition. Who said dessert couldn't be healthy?
• Apple Cake topped with Banana Ice Cream and Crunchy Apple Chips! 🍰+🍦+🍎
• Un-Beet-able Brownies 🍫
• Carrot Cupcakes🥕+🧁
For these recipes and more healthy dessert recipes, visit our website ➡️ www.brighterbites.org/recipes
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationaldessertday #healthydesserts #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking
The SUNSET® Rocks Virtual Party is tomorrow night! We are looking forward to sharing our mission with the produce industry as well as enjoying a live concert from a big-name artist! 🎸🎶🎙 We are so thankful for the generous support of our event sponsors. Thank you @chelanfresh @calavogrowers @grimmwayfarms @goodfoods @yesapples !!
Interested to see who this year's big-name recording artist will be? Join us tomorrow, October 13 at 7:30PM EST!
Link to register in bio!
#sunsetrocksvirtualparty #brighterbites #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #partnership #sunsetgrown #inspiredbyflavor
Thank you @earthfresh for being a matching sponsor for the upcoming SUNSET® Rocks Virtual Party is coming up next Tuesday, October 13! We are honored to be the nonprofit recipient of the event and to have the support of our sponsors!
Interested to see who this year's big-name recording artist will be? Join us next Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30PM EST!
Link to register in bio!
#sunsetrocksvirtualparty #brighterbites #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #partnership #sunsetgrown #inspiredbyflavor
We are five days out from the SUNSET® Rocks Virtual Party! We are honored to be the nonprofit recipient of the event, and we are so grateful for our generous matching sponsor @sunkistcitrus !! 🍊 Thank you!!
Interested to see who this year's big-name recording artist will be? Join us next Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30PM EST!
Link to register in bio!
#sunsetrocksvirtualparty #brighterbites #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #partnership #sunsetgrown #inspiredbyflavor
The SUNSET® Rocks Virtual Party is coming up next Tuesday, October 13! We are honored to be the nonprofit recipient of the event, and we are privileged to have the generous support of our sponsors. Thank you @heb !!
Interested to see who this year's big-name recording artist will be? Join us next Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30PM EST!
Link to register in bio!
#sunsetrocksvirtualparty #brighterbites #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #partnership #sunsetgrown #inspiredbyflavor
We are beyond excited to be the nonprofit recipient of the SUNSET® Rocks Virtual Party happening next Tuesday, October 13! Not only do we get to share our mission with the produce industry through this event, but we also get to share a virtual concert experience! 🎤🎵🎶🎸 How exciting is that? Interested to see who this year's big-name recording artist will be? Join us next Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30PM EST!
Link to register in bio!
#sunsetrocksvirtualparty #brighterbites #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #partnership #sunsetgrown #inspiredbyflavor
We are so grateful for @sunsetgrown and their incredible donation of a truckload 🚚 of produce..that is over 28,000 POUNDS of veggies!! 🍅🌶 Through their generous donation, we are able to provide our Brighter Bites Houston families with beautiful boxes of fresh produce all week. With delicious and vibrant produce like KABOOM! black jalapeño peppers, Sprinkles tomatoes, ALOHA peppers and more, our little Brighter Biters are sure to get excited to eat veggies. THANK YOU, @sunsetgrown !!❤️🧡🧡
#brighterbites #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #tomatoes #peppers #partnership #inspiredbyflavor
It's World Vegetarian Day, and we are sharing some of our favorite vegetarian dishes. 🍅🥦🌽🧅🥕So whether you are eating a vegetarian diet, fasting from meat, practicing "meatless Mondays", or simply looking to add more vegetables into your diet, we've got some recipes for you!
• Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
• Black-Eyed Peas Rainbow Salad
• Cauliflower Ceviche
• Zucchini Pizzas
For more these full recipes and more, visit our website www.brighterbites.org/recipes
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #worldvegetarianday #vegetarian #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking