Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Healthy Meals and Snacks
Thriftylady 05:30 PM 07-28-2015
Are killing my program. I offer REAL food. Homemade food, even many breads are homemade. Fresh fruits and veggies,etc are on my menu. Yet again today another parent had concerns with that and the fact her child "is a picky eater and won't eat that". I am at a crossroads I guess. For one thing real, homemade food is cheaper for me to provide. Processed junk is expensive, and I keep my rates lower by doing the hard work and doing real, homemade food. People don't want to pay for daycare in this area, and then they seem to want crap for food. Education doesn't seem to matter to them, park the kid in front of TV or a tablet all day and all is well.

Am I so far off by wanting to provide what I see as "quality child care"? Am I doing something wrong? Sure we have chicken nuggets sometimes, but I make them myself out of boneless, skinless chicken (usually thighs, and always baked). But I tell parents this and they recoil.
Reply
Michael 05:53 PM 07-28-2015
I think what you are doing is great. Healthy eating can be expensive though. You just have to be more savvy in your marketing with parents letting them know that you buy only the highest quality foods that provide the best nutrition without sounding too avant guard to them. They are many good products that are healthy but taste like junk food. I know here in California, there are a lot of options for healthy foods for children. I found this picture about the effects of soda pop:
Attached: coke.jpg (76.4 KB) 
Reply
Thriftylady 06:33 PM 07-28-2015
Originally Posted by Michael:
I think what you are doing is great. Healthy eating can be expensive though. You just have to be more savvy in your marketing with parents letting them know that you buy only the highest quality foods that provide the best nutrition without sounding too avant guard to them. They are many good products that are healthy but taste like junk food. I know here in California, there are a lot of options for healthy foods for children. I found this picture about the effects of soda pop:
I really don't find that healthy eating is any more expensive than non-healthy eating. But that could be the way I shop. This time of year, I have a great farm stand that uses organic practices but does not spend the money to be certified. I can get awesome produce pretty cheap! Some I grow myself. I find processed foods horrible expensive when you factor in all the costs. I buy boneless, skinless chicken on mark down usually no more than $1.99 a pound, but pound of boneless, skinless at that price is cheaper than bone in usually. Frozen fruits and veggies are often a huge bang for the buck.

The thing is, parents always say "my kids won't eat that so we can't use you". I need to find a way around that.
Reply
midaycare 06:38 PM 07-28-2015
Originally Posted by Michael:
I think what you are doing is great. Healthy eating can be expensive though. You just have to be more savvy in your marketing with parents letting them know that you buy only the highest quality foods that provide the best nutrition without sounding too avant guard to them. They are many good products that are healthy but taste like junk food. I know here in California, there are a lot of options for healthy foods for children. I found this picture about the effects of soda pop:
I'm not looking at your Coke diagram - I have a soda addiction I'm currently battling! It's winning...

I do healthy foods too, and I make it important to the parents. They know at the interview that it's what I serve. I try to "fix" issues with food, too. If dck shows up with constipation, raisins or prunes become a snack. And I pass those things on to dcf's. "Oh, dck is constipated? Okay, we will try to take care of that by feeding him/her ____."
Reply
NoMoreJuice! 07:00 PM 07-28-2015
That's so weird that people are turned off by your healthy meals! I don't do all organic, but I try to serve as much healthy food as I can. We don't do any processed, packaged crap, just lean meats and tons of fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

I remember being told a long time ago by one of the amazing ladies I look up to on this site, that parents normally choose a daycare because it makes up for what they, as a parent, lack. I am a technology-free daycare, which appeals to all the parents who feel guilty for letting their kids stare at screens for hours on end on weekends. They feel better that their kid is getting fresh air and sunshine and hands-on activities, even if they aren't the ones providing it.

I also have had tons of fast food families. I have a family now that rotates between Chick-Fil-A, Fazolis, and Noodles and Co. With an occasional Little Caesar's run. They chose my daycare, I'm convinced, because their kids eat healthy food with me, so they feel less guilty about the junk they feed them.

So like I said, I'm pretty surprised. I wouldn't change a thing. You can't make everyone happy. But maybe you could change your wording? Sometimes when I describe my menu, I come off as a little judgmental and say things like "I would NEVER serve boxed mac & cheese with nitrate filled hot dogs!!!" when that's actually a staple at home for a particular family. Just some food for thought. Haha, see what I did there?
Reply
Thriftylady 07:15 PM 07-28-2015
I am not all organic either. And once in awhile I do serve boxed mac and cheese. I mean lets face it we all want an easy day once in awhile. But I seem to be attracting parents who are upset that I won't make pookie frozen chicken nuggets every day "because it is the only thing he will eat, I don't want him to starve to death". Geesh
Reply
Tags:healthy, healthy snacks
Reply Up