Camp Prep #3: Food

Shalom, Parents!

Welcome back to the WimberLead, your weekly news source for camp preparation. Let’s talk about food. (Not matzah, we promise.)

Did you know that CYJ Texas has the largest kosher kitchen in the Southwest? Our state-of-the-art facility includes two separate kosher kitchens and is supervised by Chef Johnathen and his professional staff. Chef Johnathen’s team works on-site year-round and has experience serving all types of groups with all kinds of needs.

Wake up and smell the pancakes! 

The Chadar Ochel, or dining room, is a place we take as seriously as any other part of the summer camp experience. Our campers are super active, and we appreciate the importance of keeping them healthy with a variety of both nutritious AND kid-friendly options. Rest assured, we are proud to provide one of the best culinary offerings of any Jewish camp in America.

Whoever said breakfast was the most important meal of the day wasn't kidding. Each morning our campers start their day off with a bang! Every breakfast will include eggs plus another entree, such as pancakes, french toast, or waffles. If you thought "camp food = unhealthy food," think again! We always have cereal with milk (1%), fruit, yogurt, and granola available on our breakfast buffet. 

Don’t think we overlooked lunch and dinner! In addition to salads, there's something for everyone with meals, including hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, pizza, and even Chinese food. We wouldn't be a Jewish camp without kosher Chinese, would we?  

Part of the summer experience is trying new things, and that includes food!  Even the most adventurous eaters may not find every meal appealing, and for them, we have an extra box of unopened matzah (kidding! kidding!). Depending on the meal, our additional options include staple foods such as breakfast cereals, granola and yogurts, a bottomless fruit bowl, salads, sunflower butter and jelly for sandwiches, and pasta.  Our counselors pay attention to their campers’ eating and help them navigate their choices or talk to the kitchen staff to ensure their well-being.

Does your child have special needs when it comes to food? Not a problem! We handle many diets such as lactose intolerance, nut allergies, gluten-free, vegetarians, vegans, and more. While camp may get nutty, our kitchen won’t (it’s nut-aware). We provide options for all diets at every meal, and our kitchen staff is available to answer questions. If your child has a special dietary need, please make sure that you have identified it in the Health History Form. This will help our chef accommodate all special needs and ensure a healthy and delicious meal for your camper.

At camp, kosher food means tasty food. As we do every summer, we'll continue serving our famous breakfast tacos and our scrumptious Saturday morning coffee cake, all prepared by Chef Johnathen and his staff. We know, parents, now you’re thinking it's time YOU enrolled in camp!

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask:  info@cyjtexas.org or 713-723-8354. You can also search our Knowledge Base to learn more about not only food but everything else you need to know to get ready for camp.

Next up in the Camp Prep Series: Summer Communication

Camp Prep Series:
#1:  Transportation