KinderCare's Food & Child Nutrition Program
Well-nourished kids make the best learners! That’s why nutritious meals and snacks are provided every day—and they’re all included in your tuition. Even if your child has allergies or dietary restrictions, we’ll serve up safe and delicious menu options created by nutrition education experts. At mealtimes, your child will get brave trying new things, practice good table manners, learn to share, and discover the flavors and textures of world foods!
Find your center
Feeding your baby happens your way.
Nursing, bottle-feeding, formula-feeding, or starting on solids—it’s all on the menu! If you’re breastfeeding, you're welcome to come to the center to feed your baby. We'll provide a comfortable environment for you to nurse. If you’d like us to store breastmilk or formula bottles at our center and bottle-feed your baby on their schedule, we’d be honored to do that for you. We’ll work together to make sure we’re offering up what’s “just right” for your baby’s age and stage. If your child is ready for solids, we’ve got a world of flavor to share with them!
Explore our programs by age
Healthy habits start here.
Introducing kids to healthy foods at an early age helps them nurture healthy habits later in life. So, our team of expert chefs and nutritionists make sure every breakfast, lunch, and school snacks featurefruits and veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. (You won’t find fried food, juice, or desserts at our centers.) Once our Nutrition team comes up with a meal idea, our kid-critics test and approve every bite!
Mmmmenu!
We take care to use our school lunches as an opportunity to introduce the wonderful world of flavors to your child and their developing palate. Curious about what’s on the daycare menu each week? Our meals are planned in advance so you can see what’s served every day.
Here’s a sampling of what our kitchens are cooking up:
Breakfast
- Scrambled eggs and orange slices
- Whole-grain pancakes with warm fruit compote
- Plain yogurt with fresh fruit
- Whole-grain biscuits with SunButter®
Lunch
- Chickpea biryani with brown rice and green beans
- Tuna melts with peas and pears
- Tropical rice bowls with chickpeas and mandarin oranges
- Flatbread pizzas with fresh broccoli and bell peppers
Afternoon Snack
- SunButter and jelly sandwiches
- Hummus and veggie sticks
- Applesauce and sweet potato crackers
- Whole-grain cranberry oat bites
Every bite is a learning experience!
Learning doesn't stop when meals start. Mindful mealtimes turn the everyday routine of eating into extra-special moments where kids practice being very grown up! After everyone washes their hands, your child will sit down for a shared meal. We serve food family-style, which means kids take their portions from passed platters instead of being served a plate that’s already dished up. This simple shift builds community, teaches table manners, and fosters independence for your child.
All the skills kids build at mealtimes include:
Social-emotional skills like sharing, discussing the meal, and saying “please” and “thank you”.
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Executive function skills like making decisions and following hunger cues.
Motor skills like serving, passing, using utensils, and cleaning up after themselves.
Our superpower: working up an appetite in your picky eater
Relieving a selective eater of anxiety around unfamiliar foods takes time, understanding, and lots of exposure! In fact, children's taste preferences are shaped by their experiences and exposures to food, which is why we expose kids to a variety of flavors and textures in our centers. Our cooks love preparing good-for-you food that tastes great to kids.
We serve up food for thought!
At mealtimes, your child’s teacher will offer and encourage your child to think about and interact with all their food, even if they don’t eat everything. They’ll lead discussions about the food on everyone’s plate and get all five senses involved!
You might overhear this at a KinderCare dining table:
- Is your oatmeal crunchy or smooth? Is it hot or cold?
- Did you know tomatoes are fruits?
- What does asparagus remind you of?
Learn more about our approach to education.
We can accommodate allergies and restricted diets.
Vegetarian options are always available for kids who don't eat meat, and we serve vegetarian entrees to all students a few times each week. If your child has a food allergy or other dietary restriction that needs special accommodations, we’ll partner with you to work out a plan.
