Food, Snacks, Lunches & Allergies

Food

The BECC is a nut-free and peanut-free environment.  We do not serve anything made with nuts, peanuts, or the by-products of nuts or peanuts.  We ask that you do not provide anything made with nuts or peanuts in your child’s lunch.  If you forget, we will send the item home with a reminder note.

Please inform us of any food needs/issues your family or your child may have.  

Food is an important part of the BECC experience in three main ways: the kind and variety of food served to the children, the children's experiences in cooking food themselves, and teachers’ modeling of healthy attitudes and decision-making approaches toward food.

Breakfast and afternoon snack are served based on the belief that good nutrition is a basic need of children.  We serve only water and milk as beverages at mealtimes. We look for nutritious items that are made with whole grains and a minimum of salt and sugar as in crackers, pita chips, and minimally sweetened cereals.  In our baking, we use recipes that employ natural whole grains, fresh eggs, milk, and a minimum of sugar.  We serve such things as fresh vegetables, fruit slices, raisins, hummus, salsa, and cheese as additional components of snack.

Children bring their own lunches from home.  We ask that these lunches are nut-free, nutritious, and do not include a drink.  We will provide water and milk.  We do have a microwave in each classroom so we can heat up leftovers as a lunch option.  Other great options are sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, veggies, cheese and crackers.  Please refrain from sending candy and sweets.

Children may be involved in food preparation, baking something for the day's snack or preparing something for the luncheon meal. Children cook in small groups and are involved in every aspect of the process -- measuring, mixing, shaping, cutting, and baking. There are innumerable learning experiences in this process, from mathematical concepts in measuring to the chemical changes that take place in the ingredients through stirring or heating. Tasting and smelling come into play as the children learn to recognize and name ingredients. Tactile experiences are part of cooking with many kinds of dough that must be rolled, patted, shaped, and cut. The satisfaction of creating an edible product to share with others is an important experience for children.

Mealtimes are warm and comfortable for the children. A child is never forced to eat anything, although we do suggest that children taste new foods as they are offered.  Substitutes are not offered, unless medically required. We respect differing diets due to allergies or beliefs about food by not urging the children to eat anything their families do not accept. We also take dietary restrictions such as food allergies into consideration when devising menus.  Breakfast and afternoon snack are served family style, providing wonderful opportunities for conversation between the children and staff.  

Child and Adult Care Food Program

We participate in the Federal CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) which enables the BECC to offer a greater variety of nutritious foods.  All families are required to fill out the eligibility forms in their enrollment packet but may elect to keep financial information private by writing in the words “Over Income.”  

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.  

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 

fax: (202) 690-7442; or 

email:program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Sample Snack Menu

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	WW Pancakes Pears Milk	Scrambled Eggs Oranges Milk	WW Quesadillas Bean Dip Salsa Milk	WW Pizza w/ Peppers Roast Root Vegetables Milk	WG Goldfish Crackers Carrots Milk
PM Snack	Pretzels Apples Cheese	WW Muffins (seasonal) Bananas	Wheat Crackers Sunbutter Raisins	Kix Cereal Grapes	Cinnamon Bread Melon