Lunches for Daycare

As a daycare provider I am part of a food program where I provide the food. Sometimes I get drop ins and I set some guidelines and suggestions for their lunch. I always ask that Milk be part of lunch. I ask that no snacks with high sugar or fat be brought like pototoe chips, candies, donuts, jello, soft drinks etc.... Lunchables are really great. They usually have a meat, cheese, cracker and a drink. Fruit cups, Cereal bars, fig newtons, pretzels and even cereal is a good snack. My kids love when we have cereal for snack. They even have little Tuna and cracker lunch packs that are great for packing for lunches. You can even send pasta already cooked and all she has to do is run under hot water. Hard boiled eggs are great to send too along with cooked carrots.

For my son's lunch I tend to overpack for fear of him getting hungry.
Normally I pack a sandwich-pb&j, cheese (just bread with a slice of american cold), or turkey. Then I put in chunks of cheese with crackers, goldfish, or pretzelfish. For a fruit I put in a fruit cup-either peaches, oranges, or applesauce-you could do veggies if he'll eat them. And then a box drink.
Sometimes for fast alternatives I'll pack a lunchables with a fruit.
If I want to give him something special, I'll make mac n' cheese in an insulated bowl (bought it at Target $7-8), you can also put raviolis or anything you think he'll eat warm. My son's preschool won't heat stuff.
For snacks, you can do crackers with peanut butter, crackers with cheese, popcorn, fruit, yogurt, a cheese stick, cottage cheese or even a breakfast bar.
Gosh & I was just thinking about how I was running out of ideas for his lunches. To be honest, he loves his lunch bag (Thomas the train) & loves to see what I packed for him for the day.
Good Luck!

Fruit, whole grain crackers, pb& j sandwiches are good if you don't have a cooler altough I would suggest buying one because then you can pack yogurt, cheese sticks, tuna sandwiches, etc. Just think healthy and NOTHING from the middle of the stores. That is all loaded with preservatives and dyes which aren't meant to be eaten.

Hi C.,

My 4yo also goes to daycare(preschool) and I need to pack her lunch 3 times a week. They also have a microwave so sometimes I pack a sandwich and fruit like cut grapes and cut strawberries and cucumbers or carrots for a veggie. Cereal and granola bars are great for a snack. Also pretzels cashews or almonds are great. Sometimes I pack a hot meal like leftovers that they can heat up in the micro. Like rice and chicken sometimes and she loves meatballs. I cut them in pieces and pour some stir fry sauce on them and stir them up. That's her favorite, with some corn and she's really loving it. I pack green beans as well because she loves those too. Spagehtti is another hit. It's much easier when they have a micro to heat stuff up. Then you don't always have to send a sandwich. Good luck and good eating for your little one. He's gonna have so much fun at daycare.

Hi C..
It really depends on how much your son eats & what he likes to eat.
- K..

Hi! I have a 2.5 year old son who can be finicky with his appitite. Sometimes he'll eat a whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit snacks, crackers, cookies and his juicebox while other days it's 1/4 of his sandwhich and his juice.... So what I learned was:

*NON-Perishables are my friend! With his main meal, pack sides like 'cookies' (graham crackers), fruit snacks, raisins, goldfish crackers, banana chips, trail mix, etc. I will pack a main dish (like a sandwhich, a lunchables, pasta, etc) and then 2 or 3 sides so he can decide how much he wants to eat. Also if he doesn't eat it all, sometimes he'll eat it later.

*As for snacks, I've never had to pack for snacks before, but ask the care giver if you can pack for a week at a time...and as the week goes on, ask the status on how much food is left. That way you bring say 3 bananas on Monday and it lasts the whole week...or you bring 3 bananas and the 4th day the caregiver says she's out... Snacks his school usually serves are things like cheese and crackers, apples with peanut butter, cottage cheese or yogurt and grapes, like a fruit and a dairy product, or bread and fruit. But just make sure it's communicated it's just for your child too.

*I also doubt that any good caregiver would let your child go hungry just because you didn't bring enough...and if that's the case then they're not good anyways. Just make sure you're in the loop with how much food your son is consuming, and like I said when in doubt, non-perishables!

Start shopping at Trader Joes if you aren't already. Great/healthy stuff you can buy for his lunches. Try to always pack a protein, wholegrain and veggies/fruits. I'd do a turkey or PBJ sandwich on whole wheat bread, bag of carrots if they allow that (he might be too young) so pick a fruit or veggie or two of each, just keep the servings small.. then some whole grain snacks; maybe a fruit bar or put some cereal like mighty bites in a snack bag, pretzels, whole grain goldfish. Keep it exciting and change it up often. There are some great books out there. Laptop Lunches is one of them, they even have a website, I think it is www.laptoplunches.com.

Think about what you already feed him at home and just make it work for daycare.

I don't think you need to worry about packing too much. Whatever he doesn't eat he can bring home. You can also give him the little microwavable mac n cheese and spaghetti O's. Fruit (fresh or fruit bowls), pudding, jello, crackers, granola bars. There are all kinds of things you can get. I would just search the grocery store.

Having worked at a daycare, I HATED when parents sent hot lunches every day! Imagine 20 meals and 2 microwaves; someone is eatting cold food! Not because we WANTED it to be that way, but there are only so many meals that will stay warm until they start eating. So- when possible, pack meals that do not require heating.

PB&J are well liked by kids that age. My son also likes meat sandwiches (like turkey or ham), and cheese sandwiches. He also likes Ritz with cut meats and cheeses (aka: cheap lunchables! ;-) I would plan one "main dish" 2-3 fruits/veggies, one dairy (yogurt, milk, string cheese), and 1-2 grains (dry ceareal, pretzels, granola). You will likely get some back, but you should plan 3 things for lunch and 2 for each snack. Also- pack a sippy cup of water.

(When I worked at the daycare, we were required to provide the snacks, and each snack HAD to include 2 food groups.)

(Also- I am not suggesting that you NEVER send him leftovers or froven meals; just try to keep it to once a week or less.)

what i would do is pack just over what you think he will eat like a 1/2 pb and j, a fruit cup, some carrots, fruit snacks and the juice/water/milk... see what comes back in his lunch box. also ask him if he was still hungry after lunch. you should observe how much he eats at like dinner and base it off that. really this is trial and error to find out what is enough. good luck!

I had a dilema too, but the best i found was portions.
So i bought a sandwich containers where i load all i want for a meal
example put half a peanut butter sandwich and the rest with pieces of apple.
always 2 bottle of liquids (water,juice,milk, soy milk ). i always think about balance in protein,carbs and veggies
another times i put ham, straberries and cheese.
Her favorite ofcouse chicken nuggets and any fruit.
for snacks any that is already pack yogut, granola but only one as a treat.

Hi C. !

I "kinda" have my own daycare here in my home. ;-)
I know a ziploc of Cheerios ( or their fave dry cereal) is a great snack that go a long way !!

If your child likes yogurt, yogurt cups are great snacks as well.

As for lunch, keep it simple and FUN !

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