MEALS
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Please read this document about LUNCH at SMARTY PANTS!
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Students eat lunch together each day. Part of lunchtime is learning how to balance eating with socializing - this is great preparation for Kindergarten! Lunch is limited to 30 minutes. Teachers will encourage children to eat what you packed them during this time. If children are not done eating after 30 minutes, they will be asked to pack up the rest of their lunches to bring home.
Please DO pack:
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A "ready to eat" lunch.
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Children should be able to open all lunch items independently. Help will be provided during the first few weeks of school, but teachers will encourage independence with this task. This is great preparation for Kindergarten!
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Please be sure to include utensils and a napkin if needed.
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Teachers will NOT be able to heat any lunch items for children, cut food up, or otherwise prepare food items for your child. Please be sure that everything is ready for your child to eat. If you would like your child to eat a warm lunch, please consider using a thermos to keep their food warm until lunchtime.
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Lunch will be kept in the refrigerator, so ice packs are not required. However, you may
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wish to include one for transporting the lunch to and from school.
A nutritious lunch:
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There are many nutritious lunch options, but some ideas include: washed, cut up, and ready to eat fruits and vegetables; sliced or cubed cheese or cheese sticks; sandwiches (no nut butters, please!); hard-boiled eggs; lunchmeats or meat sticks; crackers or pretzels with hummus; applesauce; chicken or tuna salad.
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Please help us protect our friends with nut allergies by not packing nuts of any kind, including in nut butters, granola bars, crackers, etc. Please check ingredients on all pre-packaged items to ensure that they do not contain nuts.
Please DO NOT pack:
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Nuts of any kind, including in nut butters, granola bars, crackers, etc. Please check ingredients on all pre-packaged items to ensure that they do not contain nuts. Thank you for helping to protect our friends with nut allergies!
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Juice or milk boxes/pouches. During lunch, children will be using their water bottles that come to
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school with them each day. They will also be offered Milk everyday with lunch, provided by Smarty Pants.
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Food that needs to be heated or otherwise prepared. If you would like your child to eat a warm lunch, please consider using a thermos to keep their food warm until lunchtime.
How to package lunch:
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Pack everything in ONE lunch bag, clearly labeled with your child's first and last name.
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Label all containers within the lunch bag with your child's first and last name.
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Make sure to include any utensils and napkins your child will need!
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Use containers that your child can open and close independently. Please be sure to practice this at home before the first day of school!
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There are many great options on the market for preschool lunch containers. If you need
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suggestions, consider something like this lunchbox, with these ice packs (if ice packs are desired for transport), and this thermal sleeve (or this one).
HOW MUCH DOES MY PRESCHOOLER NEED TO EAT???
Your preschooler's needs depend on how fast he or she is growing plus other individual factors. Each child's needs may differ from the average, and appetites can vary from day to day.
Use the link below as a general guide to how much your child should eat from each food group to meet their needs.
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Find the suggested calorie level based on your preschooler's age, sex, and physical activity level.
You can even print a MyPlate Plan to help you stay on track. And view the Meal and Snack Patterns for examples of food that can fit into your child’s plan.
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https://www.choosemyplate.gov/how-much-does-my-preschooler-need#
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