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Cincinnati Babies
kyfirewife
member
Dear PreSchool (lunch related):
kyfirewife
member
If you're going to be so anal-retentive as to send me letters home about how you could lose your state license if the children aren't fed state-approved meals when I send two fruits instead of the approved two vegetables or one vegatable & one fruit, then you should probably just start serving your own food, 'cause right now you're just aggravating me.
I get a letter sent home yesterday because I sent pineapples & applesauce, and according to the state she has to have at least one veggie with lunch.
Apparently two veggies and no fruit is acceptable, but two fruits and no veggies is not.
And it was a form letter, where the teacher could check off what was requirement was not met. So apparently this happens often enough that they created a form for it.
So, wouldn't it just make more sense for the school to just serve the lunch? Because if it happens that often, aren't they actually risking their state license?
Maybe it's just grinding my gears because I've had a bad couple of days, but it just seems really stupid to me. If it's a problem that often, isn't it a better decision for them to just serve the lunch themselves?
Oh well. If this is an actual risk to their licensing (which I'm pretty sure it is), it just seems pretty irresponsible to not be serving their own lunch at this point, you know?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Dear PreSchool (lunch related):
I think that's silly. We can send two fruits, two veggies, or one of each. And while yes, it might seem like having the school serve your kid their own food is a happy solution, one look at a sample state-approved menu might be enough to change your mind. Part of the reason I drive so far out of my way to keep Charlie at the center we've been using is so that I can send him with his own lunch.
I looked at moving to another center closer to my new office and this was the menu rundown they gave me when I asked about a typical week: "Last week we served chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, salisbury steak, pizza, and beef with cheesy mac. You know, like hamburger helper?" (direct quote)
Emeline 5.28.13
My Blog
Post-Baby PRs
Esri 5K 7.16.2014 - 21:30
Heart Half Marathon 3.16.2014 - 1:43:30
Canton City Marathon 9.8.14 - 3:30:56
Vom. State-approved lunch menus scare the CR-IZZ-AP out of me.
For real. She thought it would make me feel better.
Emeline 5.28.13
My Blog
Post-Baby PRs
Esri 5K 7.16.2014 - 21:30
Heart Half Marathon 3.16.2014 - 1:43:30
Canton City Marathon 9.8.14 - 3:30:56
Wait. You mean hamburger helper isn't nutritious?
So what happens if a child refuses to eat their state approved vegetables at almost every meal like mine does?
I think your preschool directors suffer from a gross misunderstanding of the state regulations.
We got a similar letter sent home to us one day, however it was in every parent's mailbox as a result of a state audit that the school had just gone through.
I had a similar reaction to yours. I always send at least one veggie and one fruit with Justin's lunch on the days he goes, however he rarely, if ever, eats the vegetable. He just won't eat them.
My question was, if parents continue to not send the required one vegetable and one fruit, what is the school going to do? Kick the child out? It really didn't sit well with me that this letter came home and I promptly threw it in the trash.
I do agree that the approved lunches they serve sound a little scary. But I honestly don't know what they do to parents who are repeat offenders.
Tyler Anthony arrived on 9.21.09
The Chronicles of Justin and Tyler
I guess the rules in KY are different because I am pretty sure 2 fruits in place of 1 fruit/1 veggie is acceptable in Ohio.
(In Ohio...) Centers are out of compliance if the kids are not being served adequate lunches so yes it is a big deal. They MUST supplement if a child doesn't have a lunch that meets the requirements so it can be quite a headache for the provider if you're at a center that isn't providing lunches. So they need to check every lunch, make sure all components are there, and if they aren't they have to have something else to offer that child. It is because of this exact reason that our center does provide lunches and does not allow ANY outside food to bring in.
Centers that don't have a fully equipped kitchen cannot cook food. We have our food catered. Some places allow you to bring in food and they can microwave it but others can't heat anything (we can not heat anything; only in the crock pot). They all require different kinds of licenses.
It has been a huge challenge (at the center I work in) to find a fantastic caterer. We wanted something local, organic, yet *reasonably priced*. We FINALLY have found the most awesome caterer. She is a personal chef who buys locally, almost all organic, and uses all fresh ingredients. She also sneaks in a lot of extra vegetables by using purees (like Jessica Seinfeld) in her dishes. And the food is delicious! Here is a typical lunch: Baked Ziti (incl. carrot puree) with Whole-Wheat Ziti and Ground Turkey, Chef's Selection Seasonal Fruit, Organic Milk. It sure beats faux hamburger helper and canned peaches
Perhaps you can encourage your center to find a caterer? It may even take you doing a little research on your own to give them a push in the right direction. Good luck!
When my mom worked at a daycare, it was something like they had to require certain components in a luch according to the regs; the regs just didn't specify that they eat it. My mom had some parents leave the same item in the lunch all week just to meet the requirement.
Jersey, what is the name of this center? I'd like to go there and eat lunch myself!
Sounds so much better that the baked potato w/ salsa I brought today!
No, they are the same. They both follow the federal CACFP (https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/). 2 fruits shouldn't be an issue.
Thanks for posting the link! Just because I like to know I'm right! ha!
I also struggle because DD won't eat meat, the don't allow nut products, we have to send a protein, but any bean-products count as a veggie.
So basically I end up sending small amounts of meat that we feed to the dogs after I clean out her lunch bag.