California Organics: New hours and convenient healthy snack ideas for busy families headed back to school

A wishing tree grows in front of California Organics. Here local children have been hanging their handwritten wishes from the tree’s branches all summer long. 

As the days grow shorter, local families are transitioning from the relaxed days of summer and gearing up to head back to school. They continue to make California Organics their go-to stop where wishes come true for school lunch supplies, breakfast on the run, tasty snacks and treats. 

Packing snacks, drinks and lunches can make mornings stressful for parents already busy with trying to get kids off to school. There is breakfast to make, permission slips to sign and homework to wrangle.

For those short on time, the grocery store and organic Cali-O Deli located at 135 Argall Way in Nevada City will open an hour earlier, at 8 a.m. Mondays through Fridays to accommodate working families with school age children. 

Here they’ll find organic breakfast burritos, hot coffee, chai tea and fresh morning smoothies will be available in the deli. Ready-to-go wraps and sandwiches are available in the Grab & Go section and house-made organic chicken tenders in the deli are a favorite among the littles. Youngsters even get to take home free sheets of stickers. 

“Most of our kid customers love the organic, gluten-free chicken tenders and also the vegan teriyaki udon noodles,” said Cali-O Deli’s Rebecca Hale. We always have the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but make it using only organic ingredients.”

The Cali-O Deli has allergy-free kid favorites to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences. The deli’s vegetarian and gluten-free deviled eggs are also a popular choice among kids. California rolls made by Sushi in the Raw can be found in the deli case and are always a crowd pleaser. 

“I love seeing kids make good choices and pick healthy foods out of the deli case,” said Cali-O Deli Manager, Jenn Gilardi. “They even like our kale salad.”

Research shows that students with higher academic grades are more likely to engage in healthy dietary behaviors compared to students with lower grades, according to a 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The study found that students with higher grades are more likely to:

• Eat breakfast seven days a week.
• Eat fresh fruit or drink 100 percent fruit juice one or more times per day.
• Eat vegetables one or more times per day.
• Avoid drinking soda pop.

Making healthy snacks at home is easy and saves money. Try mixing different types of nuts in a reusable snack bag, or slice carrots and pack with a delicious dip like hummus. To add nutrients and flavor to water, add a few frozen organic berries to a water bottle.

California Organics features earth-friendly packaging, reusable bento lunch boxes and water bottles. Parchment paper sandwich bags are a good substitute for plastic bags.

“I always think of what vegetables and fruits are in season to maximize the intake of nutrition from my food,” said local chef, Kaori Stuessy. 

“My kids love to take a pesto wrap for their school lunch. It’s packed with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals,” Stuessy said. 

Pesto Chicken Wrap (makes 1 wrap)

2 oz cooked organic chicken breast (roasted, ready-to-go organic chicken is available in the Cali-O Deli every day)

1 – 2 tablespoons shiso basil yuzu pesto (recipe below, or use ready-to-go organic pesto)

handful of greens (baby spinach, arugula, lettuce, etc.)

4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/8 cup chopped cucumber and shredded carrot

your favorite wrap

Spread pesto on a wrap. Add vegetables in the center of the wrap. Then add the chicken on top. Wrap like a burrito.

Shiso Basil Yuzu Pesto (makes about 3/4 cup)

1 oz shiso leaves (Japanese mint/ basil) or organic basil

2 oz organic basil (fresh, available in the produce section)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 cup hempseed

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons of yuzu or lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

Mix together a paste from garlic, salt and yuzu/ lemon juice. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes. In a food processor, combine shiso, basil, hempseed, nutritional yeast and the paste. Pulse until chopped well. Add the olive oil slowly, while the food processor is blending. Keep pesto in the fridge for up to  one week or freeze.

KNOW AND GO