Learning Care Group

At every Learning Care Group (LCG) school, the company continues to deliver on its commitment to prioritize nutrition and fitness through Grow Fit, its comprehensive healthy lifestyle initiative. Created by a registered dietician nutritionist, the Grow Fit menu now offers over 50 fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, more than 30 multi-cultural offerings, and nearly 40 whole grain options. Having already eliminated all fried foods and juice from the Grow Fit menu, this year, LCG fully transitioned all of its grain offerings to whole grain. New whole grain items include the Champ Bite cracker, whole grain corn bread, a whole grain mini-bagel, and All Bran Wheat Flake cereal. The company has eliminated all grain-based desserts from the menu, further reducing consumption of sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. As LCG continues to implement new best practices for fitness and nutrition, its advancements also are driving positive changes among other early education and child care providers. The company has worked closely with its vendors to introduce healthier versions of child favorites such as chicken nuggets and patties, cheese ravioli and granola. LCG’s Grow Fit Recipe Book now features more than 75 standardized recipes, including palate-expanding new offerings such as Eggroll in a Bowl, Caprese Chicken Pasta, and Oven-Baked Pineapple Tofu Fried Rice. In keeping with our support of the PHA’s Veggies Early and Often campaign, we also continue to share our Grow Fit recipes with families. Veggie-forward recipes include Bruschetta, Lemony Lima Bean Chickpea Salad, and Caribbean Bean Salad. Physical activity is an essential part of every school day throughout LCG, with a physical fitness curriculum that includes a host of guided activities for indoor and outdoor play. Our Grow Fit Yoga program continues to be a hit. Our garden program continues to grow. Across our portfolio of schools, we have implemented a seed program that aligns with our Grow Fit recipe book. This enables schools to utilize what they grow in the meals we serve. We continue to explore ways to include school-grown vegetables and herbs as new recipes are developed.