TCAPS Food & Nutrition Services
Saturday Bulk Meal Distribution
Families may pick up free meals on Saturdays at West Middle School from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on the bus ramp off of Franke Rd. behind Meijer. Students who are face-to-face will receive breakfast and lunch for Saturday and Sunday. All virtual students and other children not in school will receive food for seven days worth of breakfast and lunch. Meals are at no cost to all children 18 or younger or adults with disabilities under 26. Please take advantage of this wonderful program to feed our community children.
For additional information, visit: www.tcaps.net/safestart.
No Cost Meal for Entire 2020-21 School Year
For the entire 2020-21 school year, all TCAPS students may receive breakfast and lunch every day at no cost.
For Students With Allergies
For students with allergies, please contact the school you will be picking up from so they can order the food required. Please fill out this 
form and return it to your pick up area so that we can legally substitute the needed food for the student's allergies.
**Apply Today for Free & Reduced Meals
Applications should be completed each year; these applications are also used for several other grant programs in TCAPS. In addition, students who qualify for free and reduced meals also qualify for college application fee waivers and SAT/ACT fee waivers. So please submit your Free & Reduced Meals Application here.
2020 Food Assistance Guide
View A Guide to Food Assistance and Eating Local for information on local pantries, food assistance programs, and more.
Food & Nutrition Services
Welcome to the Food & Nutrition Services department of the Traverse City Area Public Schools district. We are very proud of our operations and take pride in offering nutritious and delicious meals every day. We encourage input from all of our customers, so feel free to contact TCAPS Food & Nutrition Services Director Tom Freitas at 231.933.1911 with any ideas, suggestions or comments. We look forward to making your dining experience enjoyable.
Our Mission
The mission of TCAPS’ Food and Nutrition Services is to improve the health of students by providing flavorful and nutritious meals at an affordable cost. Our goals are to provide service to the school, to enhance the educational environment, and have a positive impact on the community.
TCAPS Wellness Policy
Meal Programs
Summer Meal Programs
- The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a national program that offers nutritious free meals for children and teens, ages 18 and younger, at several locations throughout the nation during the summer while school is out of session.
Use this mapping tool to find the location nearest you.
2020-21 Food Service News Update
10 Cents a Meal Program
TCAPS has applied for another year of participating in the 10 Cents a Meal Program which is a program where the district receives 10 cents from the State for every 20 cents of Michigan produce the district purchases. This is a program that TCAPS helped begin locally and it has expanded throughout Michigan. We are now in our 7th year of participation in this program. Please see the information below on the latest news on the expansion of this program.
Governor Whitmer signed the state’s budget for the next fiscal year, which goes into effect in October. Despite tight state finances, she and the legislature affirmed the value of the program by expanding it statewide.
Funding for the 10 Cents a Meal grant program was increased from $575,000 to $2 million in the 2021 budget and expanded the program to allow schools across the entire state to apply for the first time, instead of just pilot regions. Additionally for the first time, sponsors of early childhood education centers that are successfully participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) are eligible to apply.
Vending Machines Offer Healthy Alternatives
Having access to healthy food items and meals outside of the normal cafeteria operating hours just got a little bit easier. TCAPS has installed two new vending machines in the cafeteria at both Central High School and West Senior High School as part of a pilot program. The vending machines contain healthy food items that meet the same federal nutrition regulations as all other food sold in the school cafeteria. Sample items include: salads, yogurt, sandwiches, fruit, granola bars, etc.
Students and staff can purchase snack items as well as meals qualifying under the Federal Free and Reduced Price School Meals Program using either cash or their meal accounts. For students who qualify for free/reduced meals, the purchase would count towards their daily meal allowance.
Food & Nutrition Services – Green Efforts
TCAPS Food & Nutrition Services takes great pride in minimizing our environmental footprint in Traverse City. In our buildings using disposables, 95% of the plates and bowls are biodegradable. We will continue to strive for 100% biodegradable product usage.
TCAPS elementary schools are moving to all online production sheets that will greatly reduce the amount of paper we use over the course of a year.
Bringing Local Foods to Our Schools
TCAPS participates in the “Cultivate Michigan” program, an effort to bring more local foods to institutions. Our goal is to purchase 20% of our food products from the state of Michigan by 2020. We are currently partnering with Cherry Capital Foods, Gordon Food Service, and individual growers to achieve this goal.
Gordon Food Service also has a program focusing on local food purchases, called “Near Buy“. View listings of Michigan produced foods and products purchased by TCAPS:
Local Food Partners
TCAPS Food & Nutrition Services is proud to be working with local food vendors this year. We would like to recognize these area businesses and look forward to future partnerships.
- Aunt Millie's Bakery
- Farm to Freezer Northwest Michigan
- Food Rescue
- Louie's Meats, Inc.
- MI Farm Coop
- Norconk Farms
- Pepsi
- Prairie Farms
Local Equipment Repair and Supply Partners
Anti-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800.877.8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866.632.9992. Submit your completed form or letter 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; - Fax: 202.690.7442; or
- Email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
2019-20 School Year News
2019-2020 School Year News
TCAPS has had a farm to school program for 17 years.
TCAPS Food & Nutrition Services Team Explores Food Distribution Network
On February 17, 2020, the Food & Nutrition Services team leaders took a field trip to the Gordon Food Service (GFS) distribution center, GFS corporate offices and Square Roots to learn about their food distribution network.
January 28, 2020: 9and10 News Story
Watch the 9and10 News story featuring TCAPS' Food and Nutrition Services staff as they share their thoughts on the proposed USDA school meal changes.
Digital Menu Boards
TCAPS will pilot menu boards at two elementary schools, Blair and Cherry Knoll. These boards are like the ones we use in our middle and high schools. The goal is to eventually add the menu boards to all of the elementary schools.
My School Menus - Interactive Online Menu System
TCAPS utilizes an interactive, online menu system that gives parents all the information they need to make sure their children are getting a nutritious meal. This system allows the customer to filter out food by allergen and monitor carbs by selection of the food chosen to eat in that day’s meal. Please download the My School Menus phone app so that you have it with you at all times. Learn more at www.tcaps.net/menus.
Students to Participate in Healthy Taste Tests
TCAPS will continue to expand taste testing of healthy produce and other products to encourage students to try foods they may otherwise not try and possibly find new foods that they enjoy.
Cafeteria ID Cards
All elementary buildings have an ID card system in the cafeteria to allow students to move through the lunch line quicker and have more time to eat.
Got Milk?
TCAPS has received a grant from the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. To promote our milk sales, we have received insulated milk barrels and wraps to put on our milk coolers.
Food & Nutrition Services
TCAPS will continue to look for new and nutritious foods and innovative ways to enhance our customer's dining experience.
Food Service Directory
Operations
Traverse City, MI 49685
Phone: 231.933.1939
Food & Nutrition Services
