YPW follows the guidelines of the USDA Food Program, which include guidelines for food quality, food groups and food amounts. We are particularly proud of the fact that our kitchen staff prepares most of the meals we serve. Only a minority of meals includes processed foods that come ready-made, such as chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and hamburgers. The Center Directors work with the kitchen staff to plan meals, and they ensure that processed foods are used very few times per month. All processed foods used at YPW include a children’s nutrition label so that we know exactly what goes into each meal and so that we provide adequate amounts of protein to children every day.

We serve fruits and vegetables daily with an emphasis on locally grown and organic produce. The focus is on whole foods, simply prepared, reflecting the diets enjoyed by the different ethnic and cultural groups of the School.
We serve fresh fruit and vegetables on a regular basis We serve 100% fruit juice once each day, and we purchase only 100% real juice with no added sugar. Milk is served with lunch each day and one snack. We only purchase organic / hormone-free milk.

The morning and afternoon snacks always consist of 2 food groups, drawn from fruits & vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. We serve milk with one snack each day, and juice is served with the other. We also provide an additional late snack at 5:30 for those children who stay later in the day and may need a little something before going home. Late snacks consist of unsweetened cereal or crackers

Many children have food allergies or special dietary needs related to medical conditions. YPW accommodates these circumstances when we have instructions from the child’s physician. Additionally, we allow families who are vegetarian to bring a substitute protein item for meat dishes each day. The meal served on Wednesdays and Mondays is always vegetarian so on those days it is not necessary to substitute. The kitchen staff and teachers work hard to ensure that each child receives the right food.

YPW classrooms serve meals family style. This means that teachers sit and eat with the children, modeling manners and healthy eating habits. The children serve themselves, are encouraged to try new foods, and can easily see that others eat a wide variety of foods. Family style meals also open the door for conversation and make mealtime an enjoyable experience.