Meal ideas for 1.5 year old to take to daycare?

mere2005

DS will start at daycare center Oct 1. We are to bring breakfast, lunch and snack. Any good ideas? I want to make easy meals but not count on PB&J everyday. Any good websites? Will take some planning on my part to get us out the door in time. So far he has been at in home sitters where everything is provided. TIA! :-)

anvloveskme

We do flour tortilla roll ups with cream cheese and nitrate free turkey or ham, yogurt, gold fish trackers, pretzels, raisins, graham crackers, apple sauce, grapes, banana, (really all kinds of fresh fruit), cheese sticks, fruit leather, grape/cherry tomatoes, hummus, rice crackers and sometimes leftovers from the night before (like spaghetti or other noddles or rice and chicken).  

FairyDuster003

I used to work in the infant/toddler room at a daycare and popular items were all types of fruit, chopped veggies, cheese cubes/string cheese, applesauce, yogurt, crackers, cereal bars, and other typical snacky things.

For a main course, lots of parents would send in leftovers from dinner, some would send twirly pasta with a simple sauce like itilian dressing, I've seen cheese quesadillas, and rice and veggies. Some parents send pancakes as a breakfast.

That's all I can think of but parents have been so creative!

AsOctoberFalls

I'd check to make sure your center allows peanuts and tree nuts.  Ours does not.

I'm REALLY bad at coming up with ideas, but DS loves the Gerber lil' entrees.  I'd keep a couple of those on hand in a pinch.  That's what I use when we need to go grocery shopping or don't have leftovers.

dandlelyon

I make a lot of pasta stuff and freeze it in muffin tins. It fits perfectly into our tupperwear. I pull one two (we have twins) the night before and it's ready to go.

KathrynMD

I don't make anything special for DD.

For breakfast - she normally has a bagel thin, waffle or cinnamon swirl bread/toast and milk.  Sometimes banana/grapes or piece of cheese.

Lunch - cut up ham or turkey and cheese w/ a piece of bread or some pretzels, black beans and rice w/a sprinkle of cheese, turkey or beef meatballs, cheese ravioli homemade spinach pesto, and any kind of leftover chicken/tacos/spaghetti, pork chops, etc. steamed brocolli or cauliflower, carrots, watermelon, strawberries, grapes, oranges, etc.

I've neve sent snacks, but generally her snacks are something starchy - like pretzels, tortilla chips, goldfish and some fruit or a piece of cheese.

JoJoMama730

This post has some good ideas:

https://mrsseamonster.blogspot.com/2012/02/toddler-lunches-going-beyond-chicken.html

I get stuck in such a rut with lunches.  Some of the things I do for DD's lunches are:  cheese quesadilla with ham or turkey and a veggie in it (corn or peas, etc.), mini ravioli, hot dog & mac 'n cheese, chicken noodle soup, PB&J sandwich or other sandwich, and of course, leftovers.  Now that I write the list out, I see why I would feel stuck in a rut!  Not a lot of variety there, but these are things she loves.  I always send a fruit and yogurt with lunch too, and keep extra snacks (like fruit cups) in her cubby as a back-up in case she doesn't like what I send for lunch.  Daycare wouldn't let her go hungry, but I'd rather she not eat goldfish for a meal either.  I've tried the Gerber toddler meals, but DD is not a fan.

mere2005

Thanks everyone for your great ideas! I'm sure I will put a lot of these idea into rotation. I did check the rules again and no peanut butter. Also no fruit with skin or hot dogs. (Choking hazards...) I'm sure as heck not trying to impress, just want to start out on the right foot. @/