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Working Moms
Daycare Menu
So I know people post on here occasionally about the daycare menu, but I kind of feel like P's might be the worst. This was the first week we got a menu sent home to circle what I wanted her to try...Here's a sample of what they are serving this week:
AM Snack: Apple cinnamon Cheerios, Bagel, Golden Grahams,
Lunch: Fish Sticks, Turkey on a roll, Pizza Dunkers, Beef & Cheese Casserole, Hot dogs
PM Snack: Chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, goldfish crackers, assorted canned fruit
I can pack her own lunch (with a Drs note)...We don't eat meat, so pretty much every lunch is out. They do offer a canned fruit option with meals also. So it's not the end of the world. But seriously Bright Horizons, Pizza dunkers and chocolate chip cookies? Try harder.
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Re: Daycare Menu
eh, this is probably my 'mom of older kids' side coming out but my kids eat pizza lot for lunch and I can see canned fruit being easier for daycares.
the cookies I'll agree with...that's at treat, not snack time. But cereal, bagels, fruit, etc I'm good with.
I felt a lot differently about menus when my kids were 1 and ate whatever i told them to vs now when they are fussy about some things...but will eat others happily.
I wouldn't be too worried about older kids, but since OP said her kid was in daycare I imagine he's younger. I would not want my 15 month old eating pizza dunkers and cookies...that's just silly for a little kid. My DCP doesn't have the best menu, but at least they have vegetables and whole grain stuff on the menu!
I agree, that's why I said that some things on there did seem silly for little kids....but the daycare is probably providing meals for the older kids too. My children are both in a preschool/daycare that has babies up to 6 year olds. So you have to figure they are catering for the larger audience than just the toddlers, KWIM.
Wow! Just goes to show you, not all individual locations of a chain are created equal. We also go to Bright Horizons.
Today's menu:
Breakfast: Raisin Toast, Fruit (always fresh), Milk
Lunch: Chicken Masala, Rice, Cucumbers, Fruit (fresh), Milk Vegetarian option: Tofu Masala
PM Snack: Yogurt, Fruit, Water
wtf are "pizza dunkers"
seriously - why do they invent crappy food to give to kids?
We get DD's menu once a month and there is a very typical "kid" meal at least once a week - chicken nuggets, sliders, pizza, etc. but the rest of the time its normal - grilled chicken, lasagne w/ turkey, ham & cheese sandwiches, etc.
Just to clarify, P is 10.5 months. There is no way my 10.5 month old is getting golden grahams or pizza dunkers. I'm not a crazy all organic everything mom, but she gets probably 75% organic at home, and everything has been wheat/whole grain when possible.
I think I found it most disturbing they are serving cookies as a PM snack...I don't even get cookies as a PM snack. Also, other 10, 11, 12 month olds in her room are eating these things. I asked the teacher because I was so shocked...She was like "yeah, the other parents didn't really have an issue with it".
And I live in a very urban area...I was expecting they would be a little more cognizant of nutrition.
I'd be shocked too at that age. like I said...I'm the jaded mom of the 5.5 year old but even my kids know they have to eat their 'muscle food' before they get a treat, etc.
Wtf is wrong with my Bright Horizons? Is there some secret menu I am not aware of? I guess I will ask them
I went to get our terrible menu from the fridge for comparison -
Monday was goulash, canned corn and canned fruit, animal crackers for snack
Tuesday was hot dog, french fries, applesauce, and crackers as snack
Wed was mac and cheese, canned green beans and peaches, muffin as snack
Thurs was meat loaf, taters, canned fruit, and "trail mix" as snack - trail mix is a mix of all sorts of sugared cereals (cocoa puffs, lucky charms, etc.)
Fri was cheesy tuna, beans, apple slices, and cheez its as snack
I send lunch about half the time and they think I'm insane for it! We also had to get a doctor's note to send food.
My daycare's menu is a lot better than that, and I'm still "that mom" and send my own food anyway. My DD is 10 months old too. At this point, she's just as happy with green beans as she is with a cookie, so I see no point in feeding her garbage. I have no grand illusion that she'll never eat pizza or chicken nuggets, but if I can send her quinoa, zucchinni, and organic chicken breast right now, why not?
Also, we found that "whole wheat pancakes" which sound harmless are always covered in cheap HFCS maple syrup, even in the baby room. DH saw it one day and wanted to shout "See, that's why we bring our own food!!" Makes me wonder what other additions they make. We asked if we could see ingredient lists from their food products and you would have thought we were asking them to show all their secret financial records!
Our daycare's menu is all over the place, but lunches tend to be decent. Although my mom gets a kick out of the local options like Chicken Gumbo, jambalaya, etc. They do tend to do chicken instead of seafood in those options and they don't have as much spice as we'd make at home. Veggies are a bit sparse, but I have seen things like collard greens and veggie mix.
My Chart My Nest Bio
I'm definitely not a picky mom and I think that menu sounds pretty bad. Where are the fruits and veggies?
DS is about to switch to a center that provides breakfast, lunch and snacks, and the menu for his first day is:
Breakfast - cheese toast, mixed fruit, milk
Am Snack - pretzels
Lunch - pasta bake, peas and carrots, peaches, milk
PM Snack - juice and vanilla wafers
I am a okay with this type of menu. My kid can use some carbs and fat, and they offer a decent variety of fruits and veggies every day. If they're from a bag, or can, or jar, - whatever, it's good enough for me.
Wow! My 3.5 yo DS goes to a Bright Horizons Montessori school and they only serve fresh fruit/veggies for snack and the hot lunches are catered in daily. My son doesn't eat meat either and they always offer a veggie option.
I can't believe there is that big of a difference!
DS's menu goes something like this:
Breakfast:
M&F: cherrios with some kind of fruit
T,W&TR: bagel, waffle, French toast or pancakes with fruit
AM snacks: goldfish, vanilla wafers, oyster crackers or graham crackers
Lunch:
Cheese ravioli, beef tacos, chicken sandwich, hotdogs, ham and cheese roll ups, sloppy joes, Spanish rice, chicken quesadillas, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. Then they get some type of veggie and fruit.
PM snack: same as AM snack but not the same thing in one day.
Is there a parents board you can join at your daycare? If there isn't one, can you start one? Our daycare was usually pretty responsive to things that came up as problems during parent meetings, but they wouldn't make changes throughout the center based on individual parent complaints.
DS looooves pizza.
With that said, I am not okay with cookies as a snack. I much prefer applesauce, fresh fruit, veggies, or yogurt. With that said, I don't have a problem with cookies and DS loves his whole grain pooh cookies from Beechnut. He gets 1 after dinner once in a while and thinks they are the best thing ever.
I also prefer more protein and whole wheats (complex carbs) for breakfast and his AM snack is a continuation of breakfast most days.
I don't think DS would have anything to do with fish sticks if I tried putting one in front of him. Where are the veggies in this menu? The absence of them is a little alarming. It would not take much effort to heat a package of frozen peas to give as a side every day. DS eats these like they are going out of style.