Creating a Healthy + Sustainable Culture

through AC’s award-winning Lunch Program!

We believe that physical health, learning, and the environment are naturally connected. Our commitment to a healthy and sustainable food program means that we limit processed foods, provide homemade meals whenever possible, and LS lunch2offer a variety of options for students to choose from daily.  At AC, our Food Service Team truly cares about the meals they prepare for our students and employees each day and offer fresh and nutritious foods with homemade soups; vegetarian options; a 25-item salad bar with homemade dressings; and a second cold bar with fresh meats, cheeses, fruits, and yogurts. Our meals are served family-style with a faculty member at each table, so lunch is a time when students can get to know faculty and students from other grades. Social and athletic announcements are made during lunch, along with a daily trivia challenge.

 

COVID-19 FOOD SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS:

Due to the pandemic and safety always being our number one priority, our lunch team has reconfigured the AC lunch program. We now offer seven different options for students to choose from that are made fresh and served individually packaged in environmentally friendly containers each day. The daily menu options include a hot entree,  AC special meal, fresh salad and hummus plate, vegetarian meal, bagel and Greek yogurt, or various sandwiches to choose from. Each meal is served with a fruit, vegetable, and choice of beverage. Our lunch team also offers homemade desserts at least two times each week.

A group of Allendale Columbia students, teachers, parents, and employees worked with nutrition and sustainability experts to create a customized, school-wide approach to our food program that’s healthy, environmentally responsible, and absolutely delicious. 

What’s cooking:

• More recipes made from scratch
• A focus on using whole foods and non-processed ingredients
• Switching many wasteful, single-serving packets of condiments to refillable containers
• Expanding local food partnerships

There’s something for everyone! We accommodate a wide variety of food allergies, vegetarian or vegan diets, or medically-related food needs. Our chocolate milk is fat free (not just low fat) and accompanied by soy milk, orange juice, fat free vitamin D milk, and water. The choice is in our students’ hands at lunch time with a daily entrée, homemade soup, fresh-baked breads, sandwich toppings, and fresh fruit.

Our soups, salad dressings, and desserts—typically a common source for processed ingredients—are all made from scratch.

Supporting a Sustainable Environment

We’re committed to protecting our environment and natural resources.
As a result, we:

• Use crops harvested from the Allendale Columbia organic garden
• Limit the use of disposable products
• Fully support our student-run recycling and composting program

We’re proud to be “localvores.”
We choose to partner with local businesses, suppliers, and farms that share our healthy + sustainable philosophy, including:

• Headwater Food Hub, providing seasonal produce, meats, cheeses, and organic, cage-free eggs
• Flour City Bread Company, baking our white and wheat breads as well as our rolls
• Natural Upcycling, helping us to reduce waste and do our part for the environment

 

What’s for Lunch

Monday May 10 – Friday May 14

Monday May 10

Entree: Pasta with marinara sauce
Vegetarian: Plain pasta
AC Special: Turkey burger on a bun
Entrees available everyday: Turkey sandwich, Bagel/yogurt, Sunbutter & jelly sandwich, Salad w/hummus & pita
All lunches come with a fruit, vegetable, dessert (when menu listed) and choice of beverage: fat free chocolate milk, fat free milk, OJ, bottled water

Tuesday May 11

Entree: Turkey mozzarella Ciabatta melts
Vegetarian: Mozzarella Ciabatta melt
AC Special: Deluxe Ciabatta melt
Dessert: Cookie
Entrees available everyday: Turkey sandwich, Bagel/yogurt, Sunbutter & jelly sandwich, Salad w/hummus & pita
All lunches come with a fruit, vegetable, dessert (when menu listed) and choice of beverage: fat free chocolate milk, fat free milk, OJ, bottled water

Wednesday May 12

Entree: Chicken fingers
Vegetarian: Veggie “chik” nuggets
AC Special: Edamame Fresca
Entrees available everyday: Turkey sandwich, Bagel/yogurt, Sunbutter & jelly sandwich, Salad w/hummus & pita
All lunches come with a fruit, vegetable, dessert (when menu listed) and choice of beverage: fat free chocolate milk, fat free milk, OJ, bottled water

Thursday May 13

Entree: Ham and Swiss croissant
Vegetarian: Swiss croissant
AC Special: Egg salad croissant
Dessert: Snickerdoodle bar
Entrees available everyday: Turkey sandwich, Bagel/yogurt, Sunbutter & jelly sandwich, Salad w/hummus & pita
All lunches come with a fruit, vegetable, dessert (when menu listed) and choice of beverage: fat free chocolate milk, fat free milk, OJ, bottled water

Friday May 14

Entree: Mexican skillet
Vegetarian: Veggie skillet
AC Special: Curried chicken salad wrap
Entrees available everyday: Turkey sandwich, Bagel/yogurt, Sunbutter & jelly sandwich, Salad w/hummus & pita