Allendale Columbia | Lunch Program

First here,
then anywhere.

Creating a Healthy + Sustainable Culture

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 offer a variety of options for students to choose from daily. At AC, we offer fresh and nutritious food every day 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.

A team 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