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Food not only feeds your soul, it fuels learning and growth. That is why we ask families to pack nutritious lunches for your child(ren) which include the four basic food groups; 1) meat and protein; 2) fruit and vegetables; 3) milk; and 4) grains. Please be sure lunches are labeled and include utensils. Lunches should be prepared and packed in a way that your child can easily access and enjoy it! Please be sure to include an ice pack, if needed. Teachers sit with the children and encourage them to try a variety of the food that is offered. KidsNet will provide a healthy snack each morning and afternoon. Families also have the option of ordering lunch. Menus and ordering information is available at the front desk.

Don’t let packing lunch stress you out; here are some fresh ideas. To keep students with allergies safe, we are a nut sensitive school. Try tasty peanut butter alternatives, soy butter, and sunflower butter with jam on whole-grain bread. Yogurt Parfait-Pack up yogurt, with small containers of fresh fruit and granola for crunch, and let kids layer them at lunchtime. Or try making the parfait ahead of time. Quesadillas-Give grilled cheese a makeover! Combine whole grain tortillas, veggies and cheese, melt in the microwave, slice, and voila-excellent finger food hot or cold. Sandwiches with Star-Power-Jazz up the kid’s favorite sandwiches by cutting bread into fun shapes with cookie cutters, but save the scraps for the chef, they make great breadcrumbs and croutons. Skewers (use Popsicle sticks)-Kids love just about anything they can eat off a stick. Try veggies and dip, fruit and yogurt for dunking. Hummus and guacamole make great dips for veggies. Pasta Salad-It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken, cheese and vegetables. Cut into small pieces and toss with vinaigrette and whole-grain pasta. Try fun shapes like orzo, wagon wheels or fusilli. Pinwheels-Give cold cuts a delicious spin! Refer to the addendum for our procedures for infant/toddler feeding and bottle preparation and storage.

Special Diets and Food Allergies KidsNet Learning Center is a peanut and tree-nut sensitive school, and in some cases, specific classrooms may be designated as NUT FREE. While we cannot guarantee that our menu items are free of ingredients processed in a facility with peanuts and/or tree-nuts (therefore may risk containing trace amounts), we continually strive to serve foods containing no known peanut and/or tree-nut ingredients. If your child has any food allergies, please inform the center staff and indicate allergy details on health assessment form. Allergy notices are posted in both the classroom and kitchen area. If your child has a known allergy and you would like to provide a supply of alternative snacks, we would be happy to make reasonable accommodations for their safe storage. Please discuss with your child’s teacher if this is desired.