As both a school owner and a mom, nutrition is something I think about often. I also get asked a lot about why my school doesn’t provide lunches.
When we opened Celebree School of Franklin–Cool Springs, one of the decisions I made early on was that families would pack their child’s lunch rather than the school providing prepared meals from an outside source.
For me, that decision came down to two things I believe parents deserve when it comes to their child’s food: choice and knowledge.
When a preschool provides lunch, there is usually one meal being served to everyone. Unlike elementary school cafeterias where children may have several options, a hot lunch or deli sandwiches, or a salad. Typical preschool classrooms have one menu item for the entire school.
Every child is eating the same thing.
That means parents often don’t know:
- How much their child actually ate
- Whether they enjoyed the food
- Where the ingredients were sourced
- How allergy and cross-contamination risks are managed behind the scenes
By asking families to pack lunch, we put the power back in parents’ hands.
Parents can choose the foods they trust, accommodate their child’s preferences, and tailor lunches around allergies, sensitivities, or cultural traditions. And at the end of the day, the lunchbox comes home with something incredibly helpful: real feedback. Parents can see exactly what their child ate or in some cases, what they didn’t.
This approach also mirrors what many families already do. When my own children were in preschool, I packed their lunches too. I loved knowing what went into their day and having the opportunity to adjust based on what they were actually eating.
While families provide lunch, we support children throughout the day with two hearty snacks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, designed to fuel busy learners.
Our snacks often include combinations like:
- Whole grains
- Fresh fruits or vegetables
- Healthy fats or protein
Some recent favorites have included whole-grain pita with hummus, fresh carrots, seasonal fruits, yogurt, and whole-grain crackers.
We share our snack menu two weeks in advance, so families always know what their children will be enjoying, and we also provide 2% or whole milk for our kids 1 year and older to support healthy growth.
At the end of the day, our goal is simple: partner with parents in nourishing children.
By combining parent-packed lunches with thoughtfully planned snacks, we’re able to give families transparency, flexibility, and confidence while making sure children are well fueled for a day of learning, exploring, and growing.
And during National Nutrition Month, it feels like the perfect time to celebrate that partnership.
