Vancouver Montessori School Parent Handbook: Meals

Meals

Breakfast

Children who arrive for before-care before 8:00am are offered breakfast which may include: Hot oatmeal, cold cereal, applesauce, waffles w/syrup, milk or water.

AM Snacks

A morning snack is available every day in each classroom from 9:15am to 10:45am. A rotating menu is posted in the main hallway along with a supplemental menu listing any substitutions. All snacks reflect the DEL requirements for nutrition and serving size. Snack items are prepared by staff and supplied by VMS and parent volunteers. Parents of children with specific food allergies will provide their child’s own snack items to be kept in the classroom.

Lunch

The focus of lunch time must be a nutritious, well-balanced meal enjoyed in a graceful, social environment. Each lunch must contain the daily nutritional requirements (This is a state requirement) of: A protein-rich food, a grain product, a dairy (or alternative) product, a fruit and a vegetable serving (Two fruit servings or two vegetable servings will also suffice). Do not send candy. It will be taken away and sent to the office. Nutritional aspects aside, candy in the lunch bag promotes any number of unpleasant situations during a time of day in which we strive for increased calm. If you would like to send a special note or picture in their lunch bag, children really enjoy that.

Any uneaten food will be sent home in the lunch bag so that you are aware of which foods are being eaten and in what quantity.

Social graces at eating times are an integral part of the Montessori day. You can help your child to become independent and successful by providing them with a cloth lunch bag (devoid of cartoon characters) with a handle, that they can easily open, food containers that they can open with as little assistance as possible, and as few pre-packaged items as possible. VMS provides 2% milk and water at lunch time. You may send a milk alternative, if necessary, to keep in the classroom refrigerator.

PM Snacks

Children who stay at school after 3:00pm enjoy a light afternoon snack either outside on the Children’s Park or in the after-care room. Again, a rotating menu is posted in the main hallway for you to look at.

It can be challenging to pack a nutritious yet appealing lunch day after day-especially for picky eaters. So here are some lunchtime suggestions to help with that:

A protein-rich food:

Sandwiches made with peanut butter, chicken, tuna or egg salad
Hard-boiled eggs and hunks or slices of cheese
Wraps made with hummus, refried beans or lunch meats
Any variety of nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Whole beans such as Garbanzo, Pinto, Black or Lentils
Left-over meat from dinner the evening before
Tofu, cottage cheese or yogurt

A grain product:

Whole and multi-grain bread for sandwiches
Whole grain bagels and English muffins
Whole wheat tortillas or pita pockets
Granola or Museli
Any variety of crackers, granola bars, fruit and cereal bars
Rice and pasta

Fruits and vegetables:

Carrots, peas, bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives
Broccoli, cauliflower or mushrooms w/ranch
Salads with spinach or dark green lettuce
Apple and orange slices, bananas, grapes, pineapple rings or chunks
Any variety of berries, dried fruits
Canned fruits, applesauce, avacados

Cutting food into bite-sized pieces and interesting shapes is an easy way to not only make food more manageable, but also more attractive to your child. Children often experiment with trying new foods when they see the variety of colors and textures enjoyed by their classmates. The key is to offer choices and expect that some days (or weeks) their appetites will be larger or smaller than what may be usual for them. Children really are the best regulators of what their bodies need.