Food for Daycare

Hi,
I ran into a similar problem with my son in preschool. There are 2 options that I know of. I have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe that is egg, milk and peanut free. If you are interested, just email me and I'll email it to you. (I would type it in now but I am trying to get my kids out the door to a play date;) ) The other option is Cherry Brook Kitchen mixes. They have cake and brownie mixes. I buy them at Wegmans but I think other grocery stores carry them as well. They do have a web site and you can order from there or see the box that you are looking for. The brownies are great (and don't need frosting, I think Pillsbury make one that is dairy free, check the label) and the cake is too, no one will know that it is egg and dairy free.

BEst of luck!

yeah, I'd have trouble with that one, too ! Why don't you ask the day-care providers what other parents do ? (esp the parents of the kids with the egg and milk allergies . . . )

I would contact the daycare center and ask them what they allow. There are state regulations as to what they can have brought in. I know in TN, the schools require store bought cupcakes only, not a full cake and not homemade anything. I am sure they will be able to advise you so they can serve it in the center and to keep everyone safe.

What about the weight watchers cake recipe? 12 oz of diet pepsi/coke and cake mix? Bake as is in cake mix directions!

My so is allergic to all those and more. You can make marshmallow crispy treats. Make sure you use dairy free margarine(fleischmann's unsalted) and check the ingredients on everything to make sure they were not processed in a plant with the allergens. Since there are only 3 ingredients you can clip the incredients and take them with you, so the moms can feel comfortable having there child eat the snack. Or you can just bring fruit :)

We did popsicles. Works well in summer.

Your daycare center may already have a list of acceptable alternatives to cupcakes, etc. I know a few parents in our center bring popcicles.

popsicles of course.
you can get them in all different flavors too incase someone is allergic to the dyes.

get a fruit salad & scoop it into the flat bottom ice cream cones to make it look like ice cream. Its simple & kids love it. You can bring it to school in a cup cake carrier.

I'd check with the other parents, but another option might be soft pretzels. I know my daughter had a couple of kids with different food allergies in her class, but these were OK for them. Double check with the place you would get them (since there are differences between places) and the parents just to be sure though. If you go the fruit route, fruit kabobs are kind of cute.

My daughter has those allergies. They make special mixes for cookies and cupcakes that are now sold at most grocery stores. Another thing is italian ice from brusters or sorbet with sprinkles. If you want to make cupcakes you can get and allergy free cake mix and mix it with a can of sprite that is it. It is a lot easier now that they are selling special products for allergies. My daughter also love fruit. Good Luck and thank you for thinking of the other children you dont know how much parents like me appriciate it.

How about Rice Krispies treats? They're made with just cereal, marshmallows and margarine. And my kids all love them!

Do you have to take food?
How about stickers or bubbles?

I'm not an allergy expert, but what about Jell-o? It seems like it would meet the requirements.

How about water ice?

Two years ago I had the same issue for a Halloween party. I just used google to find cakes without those ingredients. The one that I found (sorry can't remember exactly) was a hit with the kids.
They had no idea it was missing anything.
And then I just used that Royal icing with some orange flavoring for the top.
Good luck!

Talk to the day care provider and ask for suggetions. Also you might consider bringing toys or party favors rather than food. Just be sure they are safe for smaller children.

I had that same dilemma when mine had his third birthday at preschool. I ended up calling all the moms and this was the consensus. They were grateful to me for thinking of it and wanting to be considerate. But, every last one of them said that for peace of mind and safety concerns, they could never let their child eat the snack brought in by another parent even if it was made to be allergen free, because they could NOT guarantee that a parent did not make it with utensils that might have been exposed to peanut butter or on a cooking space. Or that it might actually have one of those ingredients. They have their own plans and typically bring in snacks and leave them with the teacher to dole out to their own child on special days. And, the children do not feel bad because they know to expect their mom's special snack on cupcake day and why. I would just get permission from the teacher and director (don't assume outside food is welcome or allowed) and that should be advance notice for the teacher to be sure the parent has provided a substitute treat.

Hi C.-
I think you could do just about any food, but as long as you give it a really special presentation, that is what will be fun and memorable for your daughter. What about buying one of those “Fruit bouquets” from places like edible arrangements? I think that would make your daughter feel really special and all the kids will be able to share the fruit. Just make sure the teacher can help because the sticks the fruit are on sometimes are pointy.
I think this would be really fun for her.

I absoulutely agree with Tanya. I would still send in what your daughter would like. As long as the teacher informs the parents with the allergic children it is fair. With all those different allergies you do not have much of a choice.

Did you ever do the cupcakes in the ice cream cone? They are so cute for your daughters age :)

The best thing to do is one of two things:

Contact the other parents and see if there is something (safe) for their children to eat. For milk and peanuts I think oreos are ok. I'm not sure about the egg in those. Also rice krispy treats made with shortening instead of butter are also good for milk and peanut. The moms can tell you for sure. If you cannot find common ground, the moms can send in a snack for their own kids. I can tell you from experience they will be happy to know that you even thought of asking. I do not have a child with a severe allergy but have friends who do. When sending them to day care becomes a life-threatening ordeal of constant checking and rechecking, a little consideration from other parents goes a long way.

A new trend at my sons school is soft pretzels from those pretzel places. Some moms even have them shape them into a 3 or a 5 whatever age they are. More expensive for custom work but everyone loves a philly soft pretzel.

There are great cup cake and brownie mixes from "Cherrybrook Kitchen" at Giant Eagle...they are allergen free and dont taste too bad either ;)

Hi C.. I would recommend talking to your child's teacher and asking her for some suggestions. Then give your child a choice between two of them- that way it is still her special snack.
When I taught preschool many children would bring in some sort of fruit salad to share for a birthday snack. To make it "extra special" the parents would pack fat-free whip cream and rainbow sprinkles to be used with the salad.
Good Luck! :-)