ITK Tips (ITK = In the Know)
Providing great food at Sonlight Camp is a priority.
Food concerns are real. Food is cultural, familial and foundational to who we are as humans. It is both fuel and comfort–and sometimes it is a little scary when you don’t know what you are going to eat or, maybe more concerning, if you are going to like it.
Sonlight food strives to be excellent, made from scratch and designed for the age group we are serving. Many of our meals are “deconstructed”, for example, on spaghetti night, pasta, meat sauce, a basket of bread, a bowl of salad, a bowl of dressing, parmesan are all served seperately. Campers who preferred buttered noodles can make their own, while campers who are vegetarians can help themselves to the vegetarian red sauce in the kitchen windows, or our GF campers can visit the kitchen windows and receive gluten free noodles and bread.
We understand that dietary needs and preferences are personal and diverse. From allergies to lifestyle choices, our food service staff is dedicated to accommodating special dietary requirements—gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and more to the best of our ability. Should we identify a camper or staff member who may have needs that we do not feel we can adequately meet, we’ll consult with parents / caregivers pre-camp to come up with a plan. We create menus that allow all campers and staff to feel included, cared for, and satisfied.
Sonlight is “allergen aware”. We are not a peanut free or gluten free facility, but food service staff are well aware of allergies, labeling foods that may contain gluten or dairy. Nuts are avoided if a camper or staff member has a nut allergy.
Just like trying new activities at camp, we are hopeful that campers can try new foods while they are here–which is why our cooks are so thorough in their planning and execution of the weekly menus. While we will not force campers to eat new foods, we will encourage them to try a “no-thank-you” bite of something that might be a little new or unusual.
