LCM serves whole organic foods.  This means shopping at stores or farmers markets that sell organic food for our snack items.  Our snack items consist of organic grains, organic fruits and vegetables and fats/proteins such as nuts, seeds, cheese or yogurt. We are sensitive to the dietary needs and restrictions of our students and adjust our menu to accommodate the whole community. This means when we have children with allergies or food sensitivities the snack menu will be altered to accommodate ALL students in the class. It is common for our snacks to be gluten, dairy or egg free if members of our community are following these diets. If we have a community member with a life threatening allergy we will remove the food item from our school completely. At times our policy will be that we are a nut free school. Please see the current admissions agreement for this information. 

LCM serves filtered water, reduced fat organic milk free of antibiotics and growth hormones as well as an organic dairy alternative (such as almond milk) .  We believe that serving our children foods free of pesticides and other impurities gives them the best opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

Snack is provided by the school and is part of our Practical Life curriculum during our school regular school hours Monday through Thursday in both classrooms. 

In our Montessori primary program, a snack table is set up for a few children to sit at a time during independent work times. When a child is hungry and the table is available the children may serve themselves a snack following a posted menu (or with help from a teacher if the child is too young to follow a menu). Children are able to visit the snack table one time in the morning and one time in the afternoon. 

Water is available at all times throughout the day including a pitcher of water at the snack station that children may serve themselves. Milk and a milk alternative is available during lunch or snack time and the children can help themselves. 

In our Montessori early beginnings class, there is also a snack table for a group of children at a time during the morning work time. A teacher helps to facilitate this snack table by serving the children as they rotate through. We use this special community snack time to practice grace and courtesy and using our manners. The children practice replying, “yes, please” and “no, thank you”, drinking their choice of beverage (organic cows milk, organic dairy alternative or filtered water),  out of glass cups and using a napkin to clean their hands and faces. Toddlers are often thought of as grazers when it comes to food. Our community snack table supports the toddlers in learning how to take turns, how to stay sitting at a table while having food, and allows them to try foods they may have not had before.

Lunch Time:
Lunchtime is from 11:45am to 12:25pm. Eating together is a wonderful way to build community at our school. Children staying for lunch should BRING a well balanced low sugar lunch from home, the school staff will provide quick microwave warm ups to food that children prefer to have warm.  We encourage families to pack lunches in reusable containers and include cloth napkins. 

Extended Care and Friday Day Care:
Students who stay at school for extended care hours are encouraged to finish their lunches or eat an additional healthy snack that their parents provide for them.  A time and a place will be designated for children to eat during morning or aftercare and on Fridays for daycare.