Originally Posted by MissElliesHomeDaycare:
I'm trying to get a home daycare started and am having trouble deciding between catering lunch or preparing it myself. What does everyone else do? How did you make that decision? I don't know much about the regulations or guidelines I'd have to follow to be qualified to prepare the food myself. Are they hard to comply with? I'm sure they differ from state to state. I'm in Alabama. Any insight would be very helpful.
I would think that most in home providers prepare the lunches if they provide the food. Catering meals can get expensive taking a chunk out of your income. There are tons of ideas on how to make quick, healthy meals to get the most bang for your buck. Being on the food program helps as they reimburse you a certain percentage for the food - I know I make a habit of trying to provide as many of my meals as possible *under* the reimbursement amount - so I get to *make* money off the deal.
Obviously this is different for large group in homes or day care centers. Usually they have a designated cook. But for a typical in home with 5-6 kids, making your own meals is probably the way to go.