Meals & Nutrition
Tender Years Child Development Centers provide a nutritious breakfast to all children arriving at the center prior to 9am. If your child has dietary restrictions and/or food allergies, you will be asked to state so on the Emergency Contact/Parental Consent form upon registration. Parents have the option to either pack a lunch or purchase a nutritious lunch provided by an outside catering company. A menu is posted below for the breakfast and catered lunches, and can also be obtained from your center’s director.
Tender Years provides a nutritious breakfast and afternoon snack. A menu for each is posted in the classrooms and can be found under the meals tab, which will give you an idea of the types of snack items that we will serve. If you would like to bring in a special snack for your child’s birthday, please communicate with your child’s teacher. For lunch, you may choose to pack a lunch, or purchase a hot lunch from our catering service for an additional cost. Menus are available to help you make your choices. When packing lunch, please note that we are not permitted to microwave food for the children. You may pack hot foods in a thermos, or pack items that are ready to eat. All items that require refrigeration must be labeled before putting them in the refrigerator. No glass bottles, please.
Food & Beverage Requirements For Parents
Families are required to observe the following rules regarding food and beverages:
• Beverages provided for special events (like your child’s birthday) must be in a sealed, non-breakable container. Positively no glass or open containers will be allowed.
• Snacks for special events should be nutritious and low in sugar. Families should avoid providing cookies and candy for snacks.
• Please provide food that children can eat on their own (i.e. finger foods).
• Peanut butter is not provided at our program due to the significant number of children with peanut allergies. Parents are asked to avoid items containing peanuts or tree nuts due to these allergy concerns. Classrooms may post certain allergy-free zones when a child with a severe food allergy is present in the program.
• Families are required to label bottles for infants with the child’s name. All bottles are to be placed in the refrigerator by the family when the child arrives. Families are to remove all bottles when the child leaves each day.
• Food items in lunchboxes should be labeled, and refrigerated in the appropriate area if necessary. Lunches cannot be heated for safety reasons. Please pack ready-to-eat lunches.
Ordering Lunch with MealManage
As of July, 2023, families can now manage and pay for lunch orders through a convenient app! Learn more HERE.
