In addition to the daily lunch included in tuition, Graded offers two other eating options for students: the Sanutrin snack bar and Oakberry. From 8:30 A.M. to 11:20 A.M. and again from 12:40 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. on school days, students may purchase a wide variety of snacks and beverages. Both options are closed from 11:20 A.M. to 12:40 P.M. to encourage students to eat a sustaining and nourishing meal in the cafeteria.
Oakberry
Oakberry is a globally recognized brand known for its 100 percent organic and natural açaí, free from artificial ingredients and corn syrups. Açaí is a native Brazilian fruit, and when the pulp is frozen it becomes a dessert that is recognized worldwide as a staple Brazilian treat. With over 700 stores on five different continents, including one right here at Graded, Oakberry offers students a nutritious and refreshing option. Graded joined the trend quickly, bringing one of the most popular açaí brands on campus.
Oakberry offers three different bowl sizes and several toppings to customize each order. The toppings include powdered milk, condensed milk, granola, honey, strawberries, and bananas. My own açaí order is as simple as it gets, only açaí and strawberries. You always see students walking around campus with an açaí in hand or a huge line waiting to get one. During breaks or after school, the lines stay full, and it has become one of the most popular choices at Graded.
Sanutrin
In contrast to Oakberry, which only offers açaí, Sanutrin provides a wide selection of ready-to-eat foods and snacks. With more than 15 years of experience, Sanutrin works to improve food options and nutrition in schools around Brazil. They serve more than 45 schools and over 35 thousand students. Their goal is to promote health and better eating habits in students. Sanutrin explains that they began with a “compromisso de promover saúde, educação nutricional e bem-estar”, which means a commitment to promoting health and nutritional education.
The Sanutrin snack bar prepares its items fresh daily. Options include pão na chapa, sandwiches, chips, popcorn, cheese bread, onigiri, and potato stuffed bread. For dessert, students can choose ice cream bars, brigadeiros, brownies, sweet popcorn, cake, cookies, and cheesecake. The beverage choices include caffeinated drinks, coconut water, GreenPeople juices, yogurt, Todinho, and natural fruit juices.
My favorite part about Sanutrin is the special events they have every week and the extra stand they bring once a month. The daily specials change each day, from temaki Mondays, which are the most popular, to smoothies and pancakes. Once a month, Sanutrin also sets up a themed stand. In the past, they have brought tapioca and crepes with sweet or savory fillings.
Student Opinions
Students from different grades also shared their thoughts about Oakberry and Sanutrin and how they use these food options during the day.
Grade 9 student Isabel L. said, “I love Oakberry because the açaí is really good, and it is super refreshing during the breaks. It is my favorite thing to get in school.”
From Grade 10, Lorena B. explained, “I like Sanutrin because there is a lot of variety and I can always find something different to eat depending on the day.”
Grade 11 student Marcos L. shared, “The temaki option is a really good idea because it gives something more filling, but I think it could be improved with more flavor and more topping choices.”
Finally, Grade 12 student Luiza H. said, “Oakberry is great, but I think the açaí is starting to feel a little repetitive. It would be really nice if they offered smoothies or other fruit options too.” Another Grade 12 student, Antonio G., added, “Sometimes it feels like the food setup looks like an airport stand more than a school snack bar, especially when the lines are long.”
Images: Personal Archive
