Snack and Lunch

Our dedicated chef, Edith, has been preparing fresh snacks and lunch on a daily basis on-site at Turtle Rock for over a decade. She has a full service kitchen at her disposal, and receives regular deliveries of fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products.

A nutritious morning and afternoon snack is provided to all children. Parents may purchase a hot lunch for their child on any day for $5. Bringing your own lunch is okay too, although we are not able to heat food in classrooms.

All of our food meets or exceeds the NAEYC guidelines for nutrition. Additionally, we create a homogeneous atmosphere by serving meals family-style, having teachers sit with the children during lunch and encouraging conversation and positive mealtime etiquette. Our food service ensures that all children are served nutritional foods in appropriate amounts for their dietary needs.

We use the following guidelines:

• Meals are as fresh and homemade as possible, and are prepared just before serving.
• We make our own sandwiches, pizza, soups and baked items.
• Milk is served at lunch to each child, regardless if lunch is purchased or not. Infants and toddlers receive whole milk, and older children receive 2%.
• Children are served a variety of grains, including both white and brown rice, quinoa and a selection of breads.
• Seasonal fresh fruit is served often for both lunch and snack.
• Fresh cut vegetables are served both separately and mixed into foods to enhance the nutritional value.
• We serve turkey, chicken and occasionally beef products (no pork).
• Meals are multi-cultural, individually planned, and changed regularly to give a variety of choices.
• Snacks are balanced with appropriate amounts of fruits, liquids and starches.
• Juices served are 100% juice. No sugars, fructose or corn syrup are added.
• We take notice of any child who is vegetarian, has specific food allergies, or special dietary needs.