our food standards
We believe that our students and school staff should not only eat healthy food, but also eat responsibly raised food. That is why we set standards for the food that we buy.
- Our meat proteins are antibiotic and hormone free, and grass fed whenever possible
- When we use milk in dishes (like mac and cheese) we use Hudson Valley Fresh Milk which is local, and from grass fed cows
- We source produce locally whenever possible
- We provide a variety of fresh fruit each week including local apples and pears, along with oranges, grapes, melon, bananas
- Whole grains are an integral part of our menu, as we only offer whole wheat bread, pita, wraps, brown rice and quinoa
- We never use ingredients like: high fructose corn syrup, MSG, artificial colors, artificial flavors, trans fats, or margarines
- All of our food is made from scratch in our commissary kitchen by our experienced culinary team
- Our yogurt is plain and to sweeten it we use honey, not sugar, and we blend in fruit for our flavoring
- Our granola is homemade
- Our soups are all homemade, and we make the broth from scratch, so there is no added sodium other than for taste
- All of our food is fresh never frozen
our blog
Come join our thriving blog community! We provide our readers with approachable, and creative seasonal recipes, family dinner guides, food quote inspirations, cooking class reflections and much more! Subscribe at www.butterbeanskitchen.com/blog to join in on the fun!
summer programs
Butter Beans Food & Garden Summer Camp is a complete farm-to-table summer experience for city slickin’ kids ages 6-10.
Along the way we’ll explore the full spectrum of the food cycle through activities like planting seeds andharvesting fresh food, to cooking seasonal summer lunches, and writing our own cookbooks.
Throughout the summer, campers work together to create inventive lunches and snacks, learn the tricks to great composting, have one on one sessions with local food experts, get hands on with chickens and worms, play in the park, and explore the wonderful, flavorful world of food!
See here for testimonials from our camp parents.
The details:
- Ages: 6-10
- Dates: 2015 dates to be announced
- Location: to be announced
- Hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm with early-care and after-care available
- Transportation to and from camp available
- Included: Two camp t-shirts, Butter Beans water bottle, welcome bag, all meals and snacks, transportation to and from all field trips
Sample camp schedule:
Want to relive all of the fun we had last summer? Read our weekly recaps of camp on our blog:
cooking classes
Butter Beans cooking classes teach students how to make seasonal, international, nutritious recipes, while forging fun new memories in the kitchen!
Students will learn about seasonality, international cuisines, beneficial nutrients, and mindfulness.
Our Spring menu includes items like dolmades, fondue, nicoise salad and springtime risotto.
As students move through the course they will also learn vital kitchen knife skills, food tasting and seasoning, various culinary techniques, and culinary vocabulary.
From seed to table, children gain an appreciation for food in a convivial setting, while discovering different cultures and building important cooking skills, all while having fun with their friends!
To set up a class at your school, email: classes@butterbeanskitchen.com
Here’s what cooking class parents had to say about their child’s experience:
“My daughter is a very picky eater but your class has really opened her eyes to how tasty a variety of food can be. She is so proud to share what she has prepared with the family when she gets home and is eager to explain what she did. We would put your recipes into our dinner rotation immediately!!” – Mary, a parent of a Butter Beans chef
“As soon as the teppanyaki chef started dicing veggies, cooking, and sautéing, my child went into cooking class mode - identifying vegetables/oils/aromatics… asking the chef some 5-year old questions… Because he saw the cooking process and understood it, he felt so empowered that that he ate everything – the fried rice, the minced vegetables, the diced chicken. He ate better than the older kids at the table.” – Malini, Parent of a Cooking Class Student on a visit to a Japanese restaurant with her family