NUTRITION DIVISION
HEALTHY HABITS FOR HEALTHY FUTURES
When children start their day with a nutritionally balanced meal, they are equipped to learn, grow, thrive, and succeed in school and in life.
The Nutrition Division provides child care programs across Los Angeles with healthy meals for children to set them up for a lifetime of health and success. By instilling healthy eating habits from an early age, we can significantly increase children’s chances of avoiding many health issues later in life. Furthermore, optimal health and nutrition can help low-income and underserved children close the achievement gap through better performance at school and in life.
OUR MEAL TIME PHILOSOPHY
We serve meals “family style,” an approach affirmed by experts as the ideal way to help young ones develop social skills that will assist them throughout their lives.
Sharing, looking out for others, and learning healthy portion sizes are developmental milestones strengthened through communal eating. Our meals are designed to encourage these interactions with teachers and peers.
By modeling healthy practices and making mealtimes enjoyable and social, we can lay the groundwork for a lifetime of healthy habits.
CHILD CARE MEAL SERVICE
Unlike some commercial for-profit firms, IILA serves hot meals that we cook from scratch. Our top priority is serving the best interests of children who need every chance we can provide them, not maximizing profits by mass-producing low-quality “TV dinner” meals.
We provide our meals to our own IILA Child Care Centers, so we understand the needs and challenges that centers face. This allows us to be up-to-date on emerging State and Federal guidelines and best practices in the child development and nutrition field.
FACILITIES & FOOD STANDARDS
Our on-site state-of-the-art commercial kitchen prepares one million freshly-cooked breakfasts, lunches, and snacks each year to child care programs across L.A.
Our high-quality government-approved meals are delivered fresh daily by our in-house drivers and are packaged to be quickly and easily prepared and served.
Our meals are varied in order to meet health standards, cultural standards, dietary needs, and most importantly, children’s tastes and appetites! View sample meals.
PARTNER WITH IILA NUTRITION SERVICES
IILA shares the same goals for transforming young children educationally and nutritionally for life-long advantage with the many centers we serve. Our meal service is part of an integrated partnership and we will work closely with you to meet your needs and goals.
We can provide your center with free consultations on equipment, food handling procedures, ordering assistance, child nutrition, and meeting federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirements and nutrition standards.
Call us today at 323-224-3800 and find out how your child care center can purchase CACFP-approved IILA meals.
Dianna Wong
Division Director, Nutrition
Email: dwong@iilosangeles.org
Office: 323-224-3800 x203
Direct Line: 323-527-0991
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - Email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov