Fruit, snacks and water are available to children throughout the day. Water bottles should be small so that they aren’t heavy. Teachers will carry additional water for refills. Seasonal and allergy-friendly snacks and lunches are prepared on site, provided by Devyn Abbott, Brave Soul Holistic. This year, Melanie Paskavitch is assisting with lunches in the kitchen and Kieran is taking on the cooking classes for both the kindergarten and elementary groups.
While this is a mild year on the allergy front, for safety's sake we will continue to streamline snacks and lunches so that teachers don't have the added stressors of the wrong food ending up in the wrong little hands. There will also be no additional packaging that can end up littering the trails or filling the garbage. Our kitchen is free of gluten and dyes. We use as few processed foods as possible, and stay away from added sugars, and once a month, we have pizza delivered.
If you're concerned about your child's inexperienced palette being catered to, there are many opportunities to eat throughout the day and a large variety of foods offered. Snacks are just as nutrient-dense as lunches. Even the treats and desserts are packed with proteins, natural sugars, and healthy fats. We understand that new foods can be intimidating for some children and unnerving for some parents, but the exposure to new, healthy foods should be part of the whole child learning experience and we are trying to make this a social experience for friends. We want to make food comfortable for these kids, but we are also hoping to expand their horizons a little bit. We aren't trying to completely change diets or lifestyles, and we won't let them go hungry. Nobody wants that!
Food as fuel: crackers, chips, pretzels are not the main event. These are fun, familiar foods, but are also empty calories. We focus on nutrient-dense meals and snacks and hydrating foods. As many fruits and vegetables will be on the menu as possible! Little do they know, even the "cupcakes" these kids love so much have beets in them! The chocolate pudding is made of avocado and the yogurt is made from coconut milk or from the cows who are also residents of Sanbornton! These kiddos need the hydrating foods, those with both complex and simple sugars and all the proteins and healthy fats they can get-- they are moving their bodies all day and burning it off quickly. We're here to help.
Click here to see the snack & lunch menu for the week, updated by Sunday evenings.
Brave Soul Kitchen