- Healthy options, such as meats or other proteins, vegetables, fruits, and unflavored yogurt or other dairy choices are recommended.
- Non-nutritious snack foods for lunch, such as candy, cakes, puddings, cookies, or other sugary foods, are not permitted.
- A drink should be provided, and water is recommended over juice or milk.
Meals for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Mealtimes are an important time for young children.
- During meals, children engage in conversations, learn turn-taking, and develop mealtime skills with their peers and teachers.
- They learn to identify, talk about, and connect over a variety of foods.
- The Center strives to maintain a healthy environment for all the children.
- We provide nutritious snacks in the morning and the afternoon for all children over the age of one.
- Families provide lunches daily.
Snacks and Cooking at the Center
Snacks include, but are not limited to:
- crackers, graham crackers, Rice Chex, rice cakes
- cheese, whole milk plain yogurt with honey, cream cheese
- a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears, peaches, raisins, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, cucumbers, steamed carrots or peas, and celery
Children have the opportunity to participate in cooking projects on a frequent basis. Food which they have prepared together is included in the snack menus.
Allergies and Special Food Requirements
- Parents must notify the Center if their child has an allergy of any kind.
- The allergy must be included on their medical paperwork, and an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) will need to be created in conjunction with the family, Children’s Center staff, and the child’s health care practitioner.
- Notification of children’s allergies will be posted in the child’s classroom in a way that both protects their privacy and that reminds all staff of the allergies present in the classroom.
- Because peanut and tree nut allergies are so prevalent and typically very severe, all peanuts and tree nuts will be excluded from the new Center, and families will not be able to pack these foods in their children’s lunches
- Not every allergen that a child may react to will be excluded at the Center, but the staff at the Center are well-trained in keeping allergens away from allergic children.