School Lunch Delivery Services
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Hot Lunch Providers for East Bay Schools
Nov 2011
We have two children in a local private school and searching for recommendations for hot lunch providers that cater to schools in the East Bay. What provider is your child's school using? Are you/your child happy with the menu options and taste? Is it organic and seasonal? How is the service, ordering process and pricing? Thanks in advance! Lisa
The school where I work, Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, has used Kid Chow for the past three years after trying out several other companies. Kid Chow has a widely varied menu with an emphasis on local, seasonal, natural ingredients with lots of organics. Portion sizes are age-adapted so that a kindergartener and a ravenous eighth grader don't get the same amount of food. Most of their packaging is recyclable or biodegradable. They have a 7 to 10 day order turnaround time, which is less flexibility than some other hot lunch programs, but it helps them minimize waste when ordering ingredients. You can learn more and view menus at www.kidchow.com. Jennifer M
Lunch caterer for preschool
Feb 2009
My soon to be three year old daughter attends a new preschool in Berkeley (near Aquatic Park) that is looking for a caterer to deliver hot lunches to their 20+ preschoolers. Because the size of the school is small yet, they do not qualify for a lot of the school lunch programs that are out there currently. The school has a capacity for up to 60+ children so there will be growth but until then, the parents are packing lunch for each child daily. We would love it if the children could participate in a hot family style meal for lunch so that they can share lunch together. Right now, my daughter doesn't eat her lunch but rather wants to eat the other kids' lunches. Anyone know of a company or caterer who is interested in a yet small but rapidly growing preschool? I would love to not have to pack uneaten lunches every day! Thank you! Sarah
Our school uses www.choicelunch.com . They serve healthy and nutritious hot/cold meals, drinks and snacks and use biodegradable containers and utensils. Their prices are reasonable and portions are adequate for most kids. Their menu is varied and my kids can usually find something they like. Ordering and cancelling is real easy to do at their website. We?ve used 3 other vendors and looked at 4 others before going with them. No problems and I highly recommend them.
Lunch delivery for small school?
Oct 2008
My son is in a small private school which doesn't have the facilities to make a school lunch daily. Last year when we were traveling he was in a similarly sized school which had a company that brought lunches in daily. Parents received a menu at the beginning of the month and checked off which dates they wanted the calendar meal for their child, paying in advance for these. Is there a program like this in the East Bay that anyone recommends (specifically close to Berkeley)? Thanks, Joanne
My son's elementary school (in Lamorinda) uses Children's Choice for hot lunch delivery. My son loves it...there are several entree choices each day (must be ordered ahead of time) that are healthy, organic and fresh plus fruit, snack and drink. Check their website at www.choicelunch.com...I'd suggest contacting them to see if they might be able to provide similar services at your son's school. Andrea
One preschool we attended used Choice Lunch. www.choicelunch.com We were happy with the variety and service. anon
Our school uses Kid Chow http://www.kidchow.com/ Very convenient online ordering, great variety of healthy foods, and my 2nd grader loves it. We used it at the Cal Bears summer camp too.
our school is using this program right now: http://www.kidchow.com/ anon
Our small school uses Murachi, a local Japanese restaurant, and it’s good!
Our school uses Nourish You--the kids love it.
Our son, now in HS, had years of delicious and healthy meals from Flo’s Friendly Foods. His first time was in Montessori preschool and then again at the private middle school he attended.
Both times we were impressed by the variety, value and customizable options (sides, toppings, and size meal) of Flo’s Friendly Meals. I gave them 5 stars!