Daycare cafeteria food

smilelari

When DS started eating mostly finger foods we stopped sending food to DC.  We pay enough $$$, why not let them feed him, right?  When I looked over the menu it looked ok, but now that he's actually eating all the food, I'm not so sure I'm ok with it.  Breakfast seems fine - english muffins, pancakes, cheerios, bananas, etc.  It's lunch where things get iffy!  We eat pretty "clean" around here.  We avoid processed foods the majority of the time.  I have no issue with the occasional mac and cheese or chicken nugget, but I don't really like that stuff to be a diet regular, KWIM?  Anyways...  it seems like there's a lot of processed foods on the daycare menu... fish sticks, chicken nuggets, today it was a ham sandwich.  Blech.

Just wondering what other DC moms have done.  Do you just figure that eventually they'll have to eat food from someplace besides home and let them eat what is provided?  Do you scrutinize the menu and pick and choose the things that they eat at DC?  Or do you send all of your food from home?

TIA!

flutenewt

DS isn't in daycare, and honestly the food issue is a big reason for that.  There's just one big DC center in town, and when I checked them out a couple months ago the director told me that I might be "allowed" to send food from home for DS if I got a doctor's note approving his "special" diet.  She really didn't know how to accommodate a healthy diet, and I decided that that wasn't acceptable.  But our situation allows him to stay with me at work all day, so we're really lucky in that aspect.  

We're pretty much like you -- minimum processed foods and I like to buy organic when I can, especially for DS, but I'm not super strict about it.  He's never eaten a chicken nugget or canned fruit, which were staples on the DC menu.  But he does get mac n' cheese, cookies, goldfish, etc occasionally when I have a craving, but they're not "diet regulars."  

smilelari

flutenewt:

DS isn't in daycare, and honestly the food issue is a big reason for that.  There's just one big DC center in town, and when I checked them out a couple months ago the director told me that I might be "allowed" to send food from home for DS if I got a doctor's note approving his "special" diet.  She really didn't know how to accommodate a healthy diet, and I decided that that wasn't acceptable.  But our situation allows him to stay with me at work all day, so we're really lucky in that aspect.  

We're pretty much like you -- minimum processed foods and I like to buy organic when I can, especially for DS, but I'm not super strict about it.  He's never eaten a chicken nugget or canned fruit, which were staples on the DC menu.  But he does get mac n' cheese, cookies, goldfish, etc occasionally when I have a craving, but they're not "diet regulars."  

I never even considered that they might not "allow" me to send food.  Gah!  They looked at me like I had 3 heads when I asked them not to give him canned fruit

starlingrose

Food is a big issue for us and our DCP that ds attended for 1.5 mo had an okay menu. Most of it was bread stuff and some junk like fish sticks ect.

I try to feed ds whole foods and not so much processed but he does get a MumMum or puffs at times. He has had a cupcake at a birthday and other junk. We try to keep it to a minimum because thats whats important to us now. Yes he will eventually eat junk but when I can control it then I will. I think your DCP should understand you want to feed your child a healthy balanced diet and you should never have to defend that choice. If it were me, I would send homemade lunches.

Lotzodotz

I completely understand what you are talking about.  My dd only goes to DC 2 days a week, so I am not hugely concerned, but I decided to feed her breakfast at home, so she is only getting lunch 2 days a week at dc. They serve a lot of the same stuff you listed for breakfast, for some reason corn flakes just doesn't seem like a good way for my toddler to start her day.  I like to feed her fresh fruit, cottage cheese pancakes, Greek yogurt or eggs and toast in the morning. Do you have time in the morning to feed you lo breakfast?  Maybe if your lo was only getting one meal of processed food at dc you would feel better about it. 

Lopo

I completely understand what you're saying.  We only use daycare 3 days/week for about 4 hours.  So Luke only gets snack when he's there.  But I just told them how we want Luke to be eating...including what we don't want him eating.  They were very understanding when I reviewed the snack choices and vetoed some.  They just offer him something off the list of things I've approved.  I think talking with the center (I'm assuming) director to see what a good option is for you.  GL!

MarcyIam

I just highlight the items on the menu that I ok him to have.  They give him those.  On days where there isn't much highlighted I send in extra food (I send fruit and yogurt daily) and they give that to him with whatever else I highlighted and the fruit.  And they give him the yogurt with breakfast.

They'll even heat up whatever I bring if it requires heating.  They are awesome.  ;-)