Menu Planning and 
Nutrition Handbook 
 
Google Children’s Centers  
   

 
 

Contents 
The Food at Google Children's Centers 

Nutrition for Healthy Growth and Development 

Infants under 2 years of age 
Energy Needs 
Nutrient Needs 
Children 2 - 5 years of age 
Energy Needs 
Nutrient Needs 

Menu Planning Approach 

Meal Pattern and Cycle Menu 
Daily Meal Pattern 
Serving Sizes for Meals and Snacks 
Milk and Beverage Policy 
Infant Food 
Sodium and Sugar Guidelines 
Desserts and Celebrations 
Peanut and Tree Nut Policy 
Vegetarian and Vegan Foods 
Excluded Foods and Ingredients 
Food and Ingredient Standards 

Child Focus 
Mealtime in the classroom 
Feeding Infants 
Additional Foods 
Food from Home 
Staple Foods 
Menu and Allergen Information 
What We Track 
Steps to Indicate Restricted Foods 
Food Avoidances 

Exploring with Food 

Make Your Own Snacks 
Partnership with Pie Ranch 
KitchenSync Classes 

Contact Information & References 

 
 

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The Food at Google Children's Centers 

 
To provide children with the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow, and be healthy, we 
focus on offering a menu that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, sources high quality 
protein-rich foods, and limits the use of added salt, sugar, and packaged ingredients.  
 
We pride ourselves on "in-house preparation,” and consider the food prepared in our kitchens 
every day to carry this hallmark. Incorporating seasonal and sustainable foods, our executive chef 
and registered dietitian partner to craft menus that are balanced and tasty. Snacks and meals are 
made in a central kitchen by the culinary team and then delivered to each of the centers. 
 
All meals and snacks are served family-style to encourage children to try new foods, build their 
independence and practice social behaviors during mealtime. We also provide some meals and 
snacks that age-appropriate children can assemble themselves to encourage them to explore their 
own food preferences and learn how to feed themselves.  
 
As part of our efforts to create a safe environment for all children, there are several ingredients 
we choose to avoid in the Google Children’s Center. We do not allow nuts (peanuts or tree nuts, 
except coconut) as an ingredient or foods where there is a risk of traces of nuts. We also exclude 
sesame, shellfish (crustaceans, mollusks), raw honey, sprouts, unpasteurized cheeses, partially 
hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup, alcohol, and pork from all of our 
centers. Additionally, we do not offer fruit juices or fruit drinks as a beverage for children. We ask 
that parents and visitors to the centers do not bring these foods or beverages into the centers.  
 
 
   

 
 

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Nutrition for Healthy Growth and Development 

 
Infants and young children have specific nutritional requirements during different periods of their 
development. To ensure our menu planning consistently meets these needs we reference 
science-based dietary guidelines. For children under two years of age, we rely on the 
recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. For children two years and older, we 
use to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  

Infants under 2 years of age 

Energy Needs 
Infants need energy from food for activity, growth, and normal development. The amount of 
energy (calories) required depends on a number of factors such as body size and composition, 
size at birth, sex, age, genetic factors and growth rate.  
 
Infants are especially capable of regulating their intake to consume the amount of energy they 
need. It is generally advised that infants' hunger and satiety cues are watched carefully to allow 
them to make decisions about when to eat and how much to be fed from foods offered. 
 
Steady growth is the best way to determine if an infant is getting enough food. During infancy, 
children are expected to double their birth weight by 5 to 6 months of age. Children gain weight 
more rapidly during the first three months after birth, and this rate decreases over the first year. 

Nutrient Needs 
Infants should get all of their energy and nutrition from breast milk or infant formula for the first 
six months. At 6 months, complementary solid foods can be introduced. Research indicates that it 
is important to expose children to a wide variety of flavors and textures. Many infants and 
toddlers need to be exposed to foods multiple times before accepting them. ​Infants and toddlers 
are more likely to eat foods they see their peers and parents eating. 

Children 2 - 5 years of age 

Energy Needs 
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans set daily caloric recommendations. Based on the most 
recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, children aged 2 to 8 years of age should consume 1000 
to 1400 calories per day.  
 
It is recommended that children consume their daily calories via a variety of meals and snacks: 
● 20% of daily calories should be eaten at breakfast 
● 25% of daily calories should be eaten at lunch 
● 35% of daily calories should be eaten at dinner 
● 20% of daily calories be eaten from snacks 
 
 
 

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The Google Children's Centers menu serves an AM snack, lunch, and a PM snack, providing 45% of 
the total calories children need each day. The remaining 55% of calories should be provided at 
breakfast and dinner served at home. 

Nutrient Needs
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans also provide food group-based guidelines to ensure diets 
provide the essential nutrients and nutrition for optimal growth and development (called “​food 
intake patterns​”). Below is a breakdown of how many ounce-equivalents of each food group 
should be served based on 1000 calorie and 1200-1400 calorie eating patterns. 
 
Estimated Calorie and Food Group Daily Needs by Age Group
Estimated 
Calorie  Grains  Dairy  Protein  Veg  Fruit  Oils 
Needs (oz-eq) (c-eq) (oz-eq) (c-eq) (c-eq) (g)
Daily Recommendations (U.S. Dietary Guidelines) 
Toddler (2 years) 1000 3.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 15.0
Young Preschool/ 
Preschool (3-5 years) 1200-1400 4.0 - 5.0 2.5 3.0 - 4.0 1.5 1.0 - 1.5 17.0
45% of Daily Recommendation (includes AM snack, lunch, PM snack)
Toddler (2 years) 450 1.4 0.9 0.9 0.5 0.5 6.8
Young Preschool/ 
Preschool (3-5 years) 540 - 630 1.8 - 2.3 1.1 1.4 - 1.8 0.7 0.5 - 0.7 7.7
 
Food group amounts are shown in cup-equivalents (c-eq) or ounce-equivalents (oz-eq). Oils are 
shown in grams (g). 
● Vegetables​ and f​ ruits​, 1 cup-equivalent is:  
○ 1 cup raw or cooked vegetable or fruit, 1 cup vegetable or fruit juice, 2 cups leafy salad 
greens, ½ cup dried fruit or vegetable. 
● Grains​, 1 ounce-equivalent is:  
○ ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal; 1 ounce dry pasta or rice; 1 medium (1 ounce) slice 
bread; 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal (about 1 cup of flaked cereal). 
● Dairy​, 1 cup-equivalent is:  
○ 1 cup milk, yogurt, or fortified soymilk; 1½ ounces natural cheese such as cheddar 
cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese. 
● Protein​ Foods, 1 ounce-equivalent is:  
○ 1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or seafood; 1 egg; ¼ cup cooked beans or tofu; 1 Tbsp 
sunbutter. 

   

 
 

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Menu Planning Approach 

Meal Pattern and Cycle Menu 
Our Google Children's Menus are planned in eight-week cycles. Weekly menus for the eight-week 
cycle are published together on go/GCCculinary by Monday a week prior to the start of the cycle. 
Fruit and vegetables are updated each week so we can feature seasonal produce. 
 
There are many factors to consider in menu planning: balanced nutrition, food and flavor variety, 
seasonal availability and celebrations are just a few. Additionally, more than half the children 
eating at the Google Children's Centers are following a vegetarian lifestyle and we strive to create 
a menu where the non-vegetarian and vegetarian options are similar and inclusive so all children 
in a classroom can enjoy their meals together.   
 

Daily Meal Pattern 

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
AM Snack (2 of 3 options): Vegetarian or Vegan
Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable
Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy
Grain/Bread Grain/Bread Grain/Bread Grain/Bread Grain/Bread
Lunch
Meat Meat Meat
Meat Alternate Meat Alternate Meat Alternate Meat Alternate Meat Alternate
Starch Starch Starch Starch Starch
Vegetable Vegetable Vegetable Vegetable Vegetable
Fresh Fruit Fresh Fruit Fresh Fruit Fresh Fruit Fresh Fruit
PM Snack (2 of 3 options): Vegetarian or Vegan
Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable Fruit/Vegetable
Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy Meat Alt/Dairy
Grain/Bread Grain/Bread Grain/Bread Grain/Bread Grain/Bread
 
AM Snack 
AM Snack is intended to be a supplemental snack in addition to breakfast eaten at home. It is 
either a hot or cold vegetarian snack and is typically two items. At least one component of the 
snack is vegan. Refer to the table above.  
 
Lunch 
Meat - ​Served up to 3 times a week. Typical meat options include chicken, turkey, beef, and fish. All 
meats must be free of bones. Pork, shellfish and crustaceans are not offered as a part of any 
menu. 

 
 

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Vegetarian/Vegan - ​Served daily. Meat alternative options include legumes, soy, and tofu. When 
possible, the dish will mirror the meat option in flavoring/preparation style. 
 
Starch (grains and starchy vegetables) - S
​ erved daily. A variety of grains are offered over the course 
of a menu cycle, with different types of grains are offered each day. Rice is served up to once a 
week.  
 
Quick breads such as various AM snack breads and cornbread are made in house. Yeasted breads 
may be purchased.  
 
Starches are prepared simply without excess salt or fat. Potatoes (white or sweet) are served 
either steamed or roasted with oil and salt. Whole grains are steamed with water and no salt is 
added.  
 
Starches 
Whole Grains Breads Pasta/Noodles Starchy Vegetables
Brown rice  Whole wheat rolls  Whole wheat pasta  Sweet potatoes (yams) 
Quinoa  Whole wheat tortilla  Whole wheat lasagna  White potatoes
Bulgar  Whole wheat pita  Soba noodles 
Whole wheat couscous  Whole wheat bagel   
Barley  Whole wheat naan   
Farro  Whole grain bread   
Wheat berries  Corn tortilla   
Rolled oats  *Cornbread   
   
*made in house 
 
Vegetables ​- Served daily at both lunch and PM snack. A variety of vegetables are offered to reflect 
seasonality. Vegetables are prepared through different cooking methods with limited additional 
ingredients. Preparation methods include: 
 
● Steamed​ - Vegetables are steamed, without any other added ingredients 
● Roasted​ - Vegetables are tossed with oil and salt and roasted 
● Cold Blanched Vegetables​ - Green vegetables such as green beans, broccoli and sugar snap 
peas are blanched in order to retain their bright green color and served cold 
● Soft Cooked Vegetables for Infants​ - A portion of the daily vegetable is steamed until very soft 
and mashable for children just beginning to eat solids 
 
Fresh Seasonal Fruit - ​Served daily at both lunch and snacks. Always served pre-washed, fresh, and 
in its whole form. It is cut into smaller pieces in the classroom.  
 
PM Snack 
PM Snack is served cold. It is typically 2 items. Refer to the Daily Meal Pattern table.  
 
We offer a “Make-Your-Own Snack” PM snack to give children a chance to assemble a snack for 
themselves.  

 
 

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Serving Sizes for Meals and Snacks 

Food is offered family-style so children may choose what and how much they would like to eat. For 
our planning purposes, we design recipes to provide the following serving sizes:  
 
GCC Serving Sizes
Infants
Breastmilk and/or Formula as needed
Toddler | Ages 1-2 years
AM Snack Lunch PM Snack
Milk (yogurt) 1/2 cup 1/2 cup
Cheese 1 oz 2 Tbs 1 oz
Meat 1/8 cup
Meat Alternate (beans & tofu) 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup
Vegetable 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1/2 cup
Fruit 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup
Starch (bread) 1/2 slice 1 slice 1/2 slice
Starch (grain) 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup
Soup 1 cup
Dips 2 Tbs 2 Tbs
Young Pre/Preschool | Ages 3-5 years 
AM Snack Lunch PM Snack
Milk (yogurt) 1/2 cup 1/2 cup
Cheese 1 oz 2 Tbs 1 oz
Meat 1/4 cup
Meat Alternate (beans & tofu) 1/4 cup 1/3 cup 1/4 cup
Vegetable 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup
Fruit 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 1/3 cup
Starch (bread) 1/2 slice 1 slice 1/2 slice
Starch (grain) 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup
Soup 1 cup
Dips 2 Tbs 2 Tbs

Milk and Beverage Policy 

● Educators will offer breast milk or formula provided by parents to infants until they reach 
at least 12 months of age.  
● Whole cow's milk can be introduced once a child is 12 months old. Whole milk contains the 
nutrients toddlers need for brain and nerve development. 

 
 

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● Low-fat or skim milk can be introduced to children that are at least two years old. These 
milk products have too few calories and too much protein for infants and younger children. 
● Yogurt cannot be served in place of milk.  
 
Unflavored milk and water are always offered as beverage choices. Milk is offered first, at every 
meal.  
 
● Whole milk is served to 1 year olds, 1%-fat milk is served to children 2 years and older.  
● Non-dairy milk substitutes that are nutritionally similar (in protein, calcium, vitamin A, and 
vitamin D) may be served to children who do not consume milk or milk products.  
● We do not serve any fruit or vegetable juices.  
 
Fluid Milk Recommendation
AM Snack Lunch PM Snack
Age 1-2 
(whole milk) 4 fl oz 4 fl oz 4 fl oz
Age 3-5 
(1% milk) 4 fl oz 6 fl oz 4 fl oz
 
 
Milk Nutritional Comparison
Whole 
Serving size: 4 oz Milk 1% Milk Soy Milk Pea Milk 
Calories 80 60 40 35 
Protein (g) 4 5 4 4 
Sugar (g)  6  7.5  1  0 
Calcium*  12.5%  12.5%  15%  22.5% 
Vitamin A*  11%  17%  28%  11% 
Vitamin D*  7.5%  7.5%  17.5%  15% 

*Percent Daily Value is based on Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for ages 4-8 years and 
reflects the offered 4 oz serving size. 

Infant Food  
Parents will give their child’s educator direction on when and what kinds of infant food to serve 
their child through the Infant Food Instructions Form found on the G​ CC website​. Educators will not 
introduce new foods to infants at the center until these foods have been introduced at home at 
least three times. 
 
The Google Children's Centers culinary team stocks each center with both food prepared in-house 
and retail infant food. 
 
 

 
 

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Retail Infant Food​ - ​Earth’s Best​ jarred infant food is also available. We provide an 
assortment of options including fruit, vegetable ane meat varieties. We also carry infant 
cereals, such as plain infant oatmeal and infant brown rice cereal, which are available and 
prepared in the classroom when needed. Flavors of Earth’s Best infant food include: 
 
● Infant oatmeal  ● Carrot 
● Infant brown rice cereal  ● Corn & Butternut Squash 
● Apple  ● Spinach & Potato 
● Apple & Pear  ● Green Bean & Brown Rice 
● Pear  ● Harvest Squash Turkey 
● Pear & Raspberries  ● Vegetable Turkey Dinner 
● Pear & Mango  ● Chicken & Brown Rice 
● Winter Squash  ● Sweet Potato & Chicken Dinner 
● Sweet Potato 
 
In-House Infant Food​ - The Google Children's Centers Culinary Team prepares infant food 
in-house from individual steamed fruits or vegetables. A minimal amount of water is added 
to the steamed fruit or vegetable to ensure a smooth blend. The food is cooked, cooled and 
frozen in 2 oz portions and placed into freezer bags. There are no additional ingredients 
added to the infant food. A variety of frozen infant food is available at each center, based 
on seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables. When needed, the educator will defrost 
the infant food to serve.  

Sodium and Sugar Guidelines  

In an effort to limit added sugar and sodium, we prepare most food from scratch and limit the use 
of packaged ingredients. 

● Sodium - C
​ hefs cook with a minimal amount of kosher salt and limit the use of purchased 
condiments, spices, and packaged ingredients in the food. Lunch grains and steamed 
vegetables are cooked without the addition of salt. 
 
● Sugar​ - Sugar and natural sweeteners are used minimally. No artificial sweeteners or high 
fructose corn syrup are used. Our menu planning approach keeps the proportion of added 
sugars and syrups offered in the menu to less than 10% of total energy intake, which is 
aligned with the World Health Organization ​recommendation​. The WHO guideline does not 
refer to the sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables, and sugars naturally present in milk. 

Desserts and Celebrations 

Families should consult and plan with the classroom educators in advance of bringing in food for a 
celebration or classroom cooking project to ensure it will be safe for all children and complies with 
Google Children’s Centers disallowed ingredients.   

Peanut and Tree Nut Policy 

The Google Children's Centers and the kitchen where meals and snacks are made do not allow the 
use of peanut, sesame, or tree nuts in their facilities. Additionally, products that report a risk of 

 
 

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traces of nuts, identified on packaging with a voluntary disclosure such as “may contain nuts” 
statement are not used in Google Children's Centers menus. Parents and children are not 
permitted to bring foods with any type of nut or foods that may be at risk of containing traces of 
nuts into the Google Children's Centers. 
 
The exception is coconut. Coconut provides richness without adding dairy to a recipe, enabling 
chefs to create a greater variety of dishes while excluding dairy or milk products.  

Vegetarian and Vegan Foods 

Vegetarian items are those that contain no meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, insect ingredients, or 
products containing these ingredients. Vegan items contain no meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, insect 
ingredients, or products containing these ingredients. Additionally vegan items do not contain 
dairy, honey or egg ingredients.  
 
Both AM and PM snacks are always vegetarian. In some cases the snacks may also be made 
without dairy and/or eggs. There is also a daily vegetarian entree for lunch. This dish is made 
available to any child, if desired. 
 
On the menus, surveys, and webpage, vegetarian foods are identified with one asterisk (*), while 
vegan foods have two asterisks (**). 

Excluded Foods and Ingredients  

Below are foods that are not allowed at the Google Children's Centers sorted by the reason for 
their exclusion: 
Allergens  High in  Unhealthy  Foodborne  Choking  Ingredient 
Sugar/  Fats  Illness Risk  Hazards  Preferences 
Sweetness   

Crustaceans   Artificial  Fried foods  Raw honey  Coin-cut  Alcohol 

sweeteners  carrots 
Mollusks  Hydrogenated  Sprouts  MSG 
Fruit juice as a  oils  Grapes 
Peanuts  beverage  Unpasteurized  Pork 
Partially  cheeses  Hot dogs 
Sesame  High fructose  hydrogenated 
corn syrup  oils    Popcorn 
Tree nuts 
(except     
coconut) 
 

Food and Ingredient Standards 

Decision-making around ingredient procurement is a complex process. Our team weighs many 
factors when making these choices, including user health and safety, environmental impact, labor 
rights​ of our suppliers, animal welfare, and cost. ​Very few of these decisions are black and 

 
 

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white issues, and each procurement decision represents a careful balancing process that 
takes into account each of these values. ​The Google Children's Center menus comply with the 
same procurement ​standards​ outlined in the Food at Google and Beverage Approach, including: 
  
Animal Products 
● All animal products (meat, eggs, dairy) come from animals raised without routine medically 
important antibiotics, artificial hormones, or raised in cages. 
● We only buy seafood that is Green- or Yellow-rated by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood 
Watch and we never buy seafood that is rated as likely to bioaccumulate methylmercury 
(such as Albacore or “chunk white” tuna).  
● We serve organic cow’s milk and do not permit raw milk cheeses. 
● We do not include raw honey. 
 
Grains  
● We ensure whole grains are made available, including (but not limited to) rice, oats, barley, 
wheat, and corn.  
● A “whole grain” is considered to be a whole grain as long as all three original parts - the 
bran, germ, and endosperm - are still present in the same proportions as when the grain 
was growing in the fields. 
 
Plant-based Proteins 
● We source varieties of pulses and beans, including lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, and 
processed beans such as tofu.  
● Our menus generally avoid processed plant proteins (sometimes called meat substitutes, 
such as vegan patties and sausages). 
 
Fruits and Vegetables 
● Vegetable choices focus on seasonality. 
● Fresh seasonal fruit is always available at the centers.  
● We do not serve or include sprouts. 
 
Oils and fats 
● Our preferred oils include olive oil and at least one flavorless, high smoke-point oil such as 
canola oil.  
● Partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats and oils are excluded from menus 
   

 
 

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Child Focus  
Mealtime in the classroom 
● Mealtime also allows children to learn about new foods, health and nutrition, to practice 
eating and serving themselves 
● Self-serving at mealtime also helps children learn to recognize and communicate feelings of 
hunger and fullness 
● Meals and snacks are provided at set times daily 
● During mealtimes teachers sit down with the children and model how to eat the food. 
● Food is served family style, on appropriately sized ceramic dishes and cups  
● We encourage self-feeding. Children serve themselves and eat together with other children 
at the table  
● We encourage self-regulation of hunger and fullness cues. The child determines how much 
they eat and when they are no longer hungry 
● Children will be encouraged to try a variety of foods, and their preferences will be 
respected 
● Children help with cleanup, composting scraps, bussing plates and loading the dishwasher 

Feeding Infants 
Families will provide formula or breast milk for infants. Infants will be fed on individual schedules 
and fed on an educator's lap. When they are old enough to sit on their own, they will transition to 
a small table and chair where their educator and other children will sit with them. As soon as 
children are interested, they will be encouraged to participate in feeding themselves.  

Additional Foods 

Food from Home 

All food and drinks that parents bring from home for their children will be given directly to the 
classroom educator and, if necessary, stored in the classroom refrigerator.  
● Homemade food and open food containers must be dated and labeled with the child's 
name. 
● Unconsumed portions will be sent home with the family at the end of each day.  
● Unopened commercial food items must include an expiration date and will be dated upon 
opening the container.  
● Commercial food containers opened and dated in the classroom will be discarded or sent 
home after 72 hours. 

Staple Foods 
Below is a list of foods that are always made available in each center. For more information about 
the ingredients in these foods and beverages, please review the following Webpage [Link]: 
 
● Organic cows milk (whole and 1%-fat), soy milk, and pea milk 
● Crackers 
 
 

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● Whole grain bread 

● Cheese sticks (mozzarella or cheddar) 
● Cream cheese 
● Butter 
● Hard boiled eggs 
● Yogurt, plain whole milk and plant-based yogurt 
● Tofu  
● Baked chicken 
● Cereal (does not contain ingredients with gluten) 
● House-made vegetable and/or fruit-based infant food 
● Sun Butter 
● Hummus 
● Fresh fruit (bananas, apples, avocados, seasonal fruit selection will vary)  

Menu and Allergen Information 

What We Track 
The Google Children's Centers are aligned with the Food at Google menu labeling standards. We 
call out the same 19 allergens and sensitivities as the Food program, found ​here​. Additionally, the 
following ingredients are excluded completely from Children’s Centers foods: crustaceans, 
mollusks, peanuts, sesame, lupin, pork, alcohol, MSG, and tree nuts except for coconut. 
 
We use confirmed manufacturer information to inform the resources posted for each menu cycle, 
such as the Food Reference Tool, to indicate which allergens and sensitivities are in each menu 
item.   
 
The Google Children's Center culinary team cannot guarantee that any food is completely “free 
from” an ingredient or allergen; we can only provide the level of detail made available to us based 
on the manufacturer food label and information. Additionally, cross-contamination is a reality of 
any shared food space, and while the shared preparation kitchen does not use nuts of any kind, it 
does use other ingredients considered as allergens and sensitivities.  

Steps to Indicate Restricted Foods 

1. Annually​: Fill out the Annual Food Preference Survey. 
a. This form must be completed by parents whose child(ren) have a food allergy, 
sensitivity, or food avoidance to make all staff aware of the parents’ preferences for 
their child’s diet. 
2. Bi-monthly: ​Review the Food Reference Tool for the presence of allergens or ingredients 
your child should not eat.  
a. Parents must review this tool for each current menu. Ingredients and recipes may 
change from menu to menu, which can impact the presence of allergens or 
ingredients of concern in otherwise familiar menu items. 
3. Weekly: ​ Fill out the Weekly Food Instructions Survey to indicate which menu and pantry 
items may ​not​ be offered to your child.  
a. This survey must be received each week (by Friday at noon) for the next week’s 
menu preferences. 

 
 

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Food Avoidances 
The GCC Culinary team will work with the classroom and parents if there are allergy concerns or 
foods that should be avoided. Our menu is written so that most items can be served in its 
component parts and in many cases this step is sufficient to support special needs. In some 
situations, food from home may need to be provided for the child. The GCC Culinary team cannot 
prepare special meals to address the needs of individual students. 
 
The Google Children's Centers are aligned with the Food at Google menu standards. Below are 
lists of the allergens and sensitivities the Food Program discloses. Some ingredients may not be 
applicable to the GCC. Find out more at go/food. 
 
How to Read our Menus 
 
1. Allergens are​ called out w
​ hen present in dishes. 
2. Every ingredient that we know of in the dish will be listed in the recipe. When the list 
contains sub-ingredients, such as prepared sauces or dressings containing a number of 
ingredients on their own, any known allergens or sensitivities will be called out. 
 
Allergens  Sensitivities 
Gluten*    Monosodium glutamate (MSG) - N/A 
Celery  Beef 
Buckwheat   Pork - N/A 
Sesame - N/A  Alcohol - N/A 
Tree nuts* - N/A   
Mustard  Consumer Information 
Peanuts - N/A  ** = Vegan (contains no animal products) 
Milk    * = Vegetarian (may contain dairy, eggs or 
Eggs   honey) 
Lupin  RU = (raw /undercooked) 
Finfish    N/A = not applicable to GCC 
Mollusks - N/A   
Crustaceans - N/A     
Soy  Note that the specific Gluten ingredient will be 
Sulfur dioxide & sulfites  identified (ie. Oats) 
 
Gluten  Tree Nuts​ (not used at GCC) 
● Wheat starch  ● Almond (Amygdalus communis L) 
● Wheat  ● Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) 
● Wheat bran  ● Walnut (Juglans regia) 
● Wheat germ  ● Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) 
● Cracked wheat  ● Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) 
● Durum  ● Brazil (Bertholletia excelsa) 
● Einkorn  ● Pine Nut (Pinus pinea) 
● Emmer  ● Pistachio (Pistacia vera) 

 
 

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● Farina  ● Macadamia and Queensland 

● Faro  (Macadamia ternifolia) 
● Fu  ● Coconut (while not a tree nut has 
● Gliadin  similar proteins causing cross 
● Graham flour  reactions) 
● Bulgur 
● Rye 
● Barley 
● Oats ​(some may be gluten free) 
● Spelt 
● Couscous 
● Kamut 
● Seitan 
● Triticale & Mir 

 
 
   

 
 

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Exploring with Food 

Make Your Own Snacks 
One of our regular snack items is a “Make Your Own” snack option. These snacks are designed so 
that children can own a part of the meal experience and customize their snack as they like. 
Individual elements of the snack are served and this time becomes an interactive opportunity.  

Partnership with Pie Ranch 

Pie Ranch is a farm located in Pescadero, California. Google and the Google Children's Centers 
have partnered with Pie Ranch over several years in various ways, from bringing seasonal 
produce, food education, and activities to the classrooms; to family visits to the farm and onsite 
meal-kit pilot programs. Our partnership continues to evolve based on the needs of our 
communities. 

KitchenSync Classes  
The Teaching Kitchens at KitchenSync (​Mountain View ​and S​ unnyvale​) offer a variety of classes to 
hone your cooking skills or simply have fun making delicious food. Some classes are specifically 
designed with parents in mind, such as the Mealtime Magic Series. In this series, parents with 
children learn how to make scrumptious meals for your family. This class teaches classic family 
favorite meals from around the world and how to tailor it to your own family’s flavorful lifestyle. 

 
 

17 ​Google Proprietary and Confidential 

 

Contact Information & References 

 
  Address  Contacts 

GCC Kitchen  323 Fairchild Dr.   Executive Chef: John Koyanagi 

Mountain View, CA 94043 

The Fields  1605 San Luis Ave.  Site Director: Inbal Ondhia 
Mountain View, CA 94043  Ops Manager: Alyssa Fantin 
(650) 214-9410 

The Orchards  494 S. Bernardo Ave.   Site Director: Omi Lindsey 

Sunnyvale, CA 94086  Ops Manager: Kellie Lund 
(650) 214-9410 

The Wetlands  3801 E. Bayshore Rd.  Site Director: Shauna Taradash 

Palo Alto, CA 94303  Ops Specialist: Jill DesRosier 
(650) 605-9500 

The Woods  325 Gladys Ave.  Site Directors: Mayra Arias-Howard, Marilyn 
Mountain View, CA 94043  Graves, Johanna Resecker-Boyd, Michelle Julian 
(650) 526-6301  Ops Manager: Katie Kohlmann 

Culinary    Johanna Resecker-Boyd 

Liaison 

Food at    Food Program Manager: Ida Shen 

Google team 

References 
Google Children's Centers  
GCC 8 Week Cycle Menu 
GCC Family Handbook 
GCC Mealtime Guidelines 
 
USDA  
Choking Prevention 
2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 
Choose MyPlate 

 
 
 

18 ​Google Proprietary and Confidential