Ellis Early Learning and Little Cocoa Bean Piloting Nutritious and Culturally Inclusive Food Program

By Molly McKinney on October 2, 2024

Ellis Early Learning is piloting a program with Little Cocoa Bean Co. to provide its students with healthy and culturally inclusive food.

The program will start at Ellis’s center at its Jamaica Plain location at 555 Amory St.

Even before the pilot program, the Ellis center provides breakfast, lunch and a snack for all students each school day, accounting for much of their daily nutritional intake. Now Little Cocoa Bean will provide Ellis students in Jamaica Plain with all of its meals every day.

“Ellis is beyond excited to partner with a likeminded business that prioritizes the well-being of all children with an inclusive focus,” said Ellis Early Learning CEO Lauren Cook. “Providing nutritionally superior, delicious, child-friendly meals and snacks has been my dream since arriving at Ellis, and our Jamaica Plain center will be the first to experience this dream realized.”

Little Cocoa Bean Co. opened in Jamaica Plain in September 2022, is a woman- and minority-owned organization with a mission to increase childhood consumption of nutritious food by producing its own healthy and culturally inclusive line of food. The kids really won’t know how good they have it! Meals will be nut-free and options will include banana pancakes, rice and bean burritos, fruit kabobs, spaghetti squash with marinara sauce, vegetarian Greek yogurt with honey and granola, caprese sandwiches and vegan smoothie bowls.

“The consumption of healthy and diverse meals in the first few years of life is a social determinant of health,” said Little Cocoa Bean Co. Founder Tracy Skelly. “We look forward to working with our Jamaica Plain neighbor in providing all kids with the support to thrive.”

This article was originally published by Jamaica Plain News.