Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Menus, Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Ideas>100% Healthy all the Time?
Josiegirl 07:10 AM 09-07-2014
I've seen people on the board here put down serving pancakes, graham crackers, canned veggies. I'm beginning to feel my choice of the foods I serve is not good at all.
I have several kids who are young or picky. I have served veggies/hummus at snack time when I know kids will eat it. I always offer fresh fruits and veggies, very often. But I do serve canned veggies sometimes, we have pancakes once a week for breakfast, graham crackers with peanut butter for snack a couple times a month.
I try to do *most* everything right but I'm nowhere near perfect. However I feel like I need to crank it up another notch. No longer do I serve mac n cheese from a box(plain wheat noodles or brown rice, which they love), fish sticks(fresh fish now), hot dogs are only a 1x a month thing, cheezit type crackers are only on occasion now. Compared to what I serve today my menus from the ole days were ick! They do get pizza once a week, home made. I don't serve the cold meat sandwiches, only things like turkey, tuna, etc.
So I guess my question is this....where am I compared to most of you?
I have several kids who are young or picky. I have served veggies/hummus at snack time when I know kids will eat it. I always offer fresh fruits and veggies, very often. But I do serve canned veggies sometimes, we have pancakes once a week for breakfast, graham crackers with peanut butter for snack a couple times a month.
I try to do *most* everything right but I'm nowhere near perfect. However I feel like I need to crank it up another notch. No longer do I serve mac n cheese from a box(plain wheat noodles or brown rice, which they love), fish sticks(fresh fish now), hot dogs are only a 1x a month thing, cheezit type crackers are only on occasion now. Compared to what I serve today my menus from the ole days were ick! They do get pizza once a week, home made. I don't serve the cold meat sandwiches, only things like turkey, tuna, etc.
So I guess my question is this....where am I compared to most of you?
Cradle2crayons 09:46 AM 09-07-2014
Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
I've seen people on the board here put down serving pancakes, graham crackers, canned veggies. I'm beginning to feel my choice of the foods I serve is not good at all.
I have several kids who are young or picky. I have served veggies/hummus at snack time when I know kids will eat it. I always offer fresh fruits and veggies, very often. But I do serve canned veggies sometimes, we have pancakes once a week for breakfast, graham crackers with peanut butter for snack a couple times a month.
I try to do *most* everything right but I'm nowhere near perfect. However I feel like I need to crank it up another notch. No longer do I serve mac n cheese from a box(plain wheat noodles or brown rice, which they love), fish sticks(fresh fish now), hot dogs are only a 1x a month thing, cheezit type crackers are only on occasion now. Compared to what I serve today my menus from the ole days were ick! They do get pizza once a week, home made. I don't serve the cold meat sandwiches, only things like turkey, tuna, etc.
So I guess my question is this....where am I compared to most of you?
Everything in moderation I say!!!I've seen people on the board here put down serving pancakes, graham crackers, canned veggies. I'm beginning to feel my choice of the foods I serve is not good at all.
I have several kids who are young or picky. I have served veggies/hummus at snack time when I know kids will eat it. I always offer fresh fruits and veggies, very often. But I do serve canned veggies sometimes, we have pancakes once a week for breakfast, graham crackers with peanut butter for snack a couple times a month.
I try to do *most* everything right but I'm nowhere near perfect. However I feel like I need to crank it up another notch. No longer do I serve mac n cheese from a box(plain wheat noodles or brown rice, which they love), fish sticks(fresh fish now), hot dogs are only a 1x a month thing, cheezit type crackers are only on occasion now. Compared to what I serve today my menus from the ole days were ick! They do get pizza once a week, home made. I don't serve the cold meat sandwiches, only things like turkey, tuna, etc.
So I guess my question is this....where am I compared to most of you?
I guess I serve healthier than most in my area but not nearly as healthy as some here.
Although I do serve organic in the meat department because it's available... And I do serve fresh veggies when available because I blanch and freeze them in the summer... I rarely EVER fry even pan fry..but..I do also do other things like sweet tea and kool aid occasionally also.
According to the parents I'm VERY HEALTHY but I don't really think I am... Maybe I am compared to them??
I don't see a problem with graham crackers occasionally...
Thriftylady 09:57 AM 09-07-2014
I believe many things are part of a healthy diet in moderation. I see nothing wrong with pancakes or waffles. I just don't make them daily or even weekly. I see nothing wrong with canned and frozen veggies, I live in an area where fresh ones are just horrible expensive during the winter. I don't even see an issue with cake and cookies, again in moderation and even better if homemade.
craftymissbeth 10:00 AM 09-07-2014
My lunches are almost always healthy, but snacks are so small that I feel it's ok to serve goodies sometimes. We have milk and a cookie every Friday and yogurt with graham crackers every Monday. I don't serve junk, but I'm not as worried about healthy when it comes to snack.
Breakfasts are the same every week... Banana/Cheerios, strawberries/frozen waffles, canned mandarin oranges/box mix muffins, canned pineapple/English muffin, banana/Cheerios. I despise cleaning up after breakfast so I make it super simple.
I use canned fruits as much as I can. I know they aren't as healthy as fresh, but my group is small and it's hard to not have large amounts of waste when I buy all fresh. I buy as much frozen veggies as I can both for waste reasons and because I feel it can be healthier. Frozen veggies are usually frozen when they're at their ripest while fresh is picked and allowed to ripen in the store.
Breakfasts are the same every week... Banana/Cheerios, strawberries/frozen waffles, canned mandarin oranges/box mix muffins, canned pineapple/English muffin, banana/Cheerios. I despise cleaning up after breakfast so I make it super simple.
I use canned fruits as much as I can. I know they aren't as healthy as fresh, but my group is small and it's hard to not have large amounts of waste when I buy all fresh. I buy as much frozen veggies as I can both for waste reasons and because I feel it can be healthier. Frozen veggies are usually frozen when they're at their ripest while fresh is picked and allowed to ripen in the store.
spinnymarie 05:39 PM 09-07-2014
My menu sounds similar to yours.
We go grocery shopping every other week, so the first week is all/mainly fresh fruits and veggies and the second week is mostly frozen, though some are canned.
Graham crackers are twice/month, hotdogs are once/month, no other lunch meat. But we serve frozen meatballs 2x/m and frozen waffles 2x/m and other stuff that's not as great.
And on that note, our food program person just came and said we have the best menu she's seen, and the food program doesn't even have a section for hummus.
And I can absolutely note that compared the lunches at the local school district, we are WAY above and beyond.
We go grocery shopping every other week, so the first week is all/mainly fresh fruits and veggies and the second week is mostly frozen, though some are canned.
Graham crackers are twice/month, hotdogs are once/month, no other lunch meat. But we serve frozen meatballs 2x/m and frozen waffles 2x/m and other stuff that's not as great.
And on that note, our food program person just came and said we have the best menu she's seen, and the food program doesn't even have a section for hummus.
And I can absolutely note that compared the lunches at the local school district, we are WAY above and beyond.
AmyKidsCo 06:44 PM 09-07-2014
I still do mac & cheese from a box - Annie's organic or Whole wheat. In the past when I had older children I did pancakes every week, but with whole wheat flour and fruit topping instead of syrup. I even do lunch meat sandwiches regularly - Hormel Natural Choice (no nitrates) on whole wheat.
IMO you don't have to totally give up the children's favorite foods, just find ways to make them healthier by doing whole wheat instead of white, fresh/frozen instead of canned, homemade (like your fish sticks) instead of frozen.
I don't think you're doing too badly at all!
IMO you don't have to totally give up the children's favorite foods, just find ways to make them healthier by doing whole wheat instead of white, fresh/frozen instead of canned, homemade (like your fish sticks) instead of frozen.
I don't think you're doing too badly at all!
Cradle2crayons 07:33 PM 09-07-2014
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo:
I still do mac & cheese from a box - Annie's organic or Whole wheat. In the past when I had older children I did pancakes every week, but with whole wheat flour and fruit topping instead of syrup. I even do lunch meat sandwiches regularly - Hormel Natural Choice (no nitrates) on whole wheat.
IMO you don't have to totally give up the children's favorite foods, just find ways to make them healthier by doing whole wheat instead of white, fresh/frozen instead of canned, homemade (like your fish sticks) instead of frozen.
I don't think you're doing too badly at all!
I still do mac & cheese from a box - Annie's organic or Whole wheat. In the past when I had older children I did pancakes every week, but with whole wheat flour and fruit topping instead of syrup. I even do lunch meat sandwiches regularly - Hormel Natural Choice (no nitrates) on whole wheat.
IMO you don't have to totally give up the children's favorite foods, just find ways to make them healthier by doing whole wheat instead of white, fresh/frozen instead of canned, homemade (like your fish sticks) instead of frozen.
I don't think you're doing too badly at all!
no need for kids to give up all their goodies when there are ways to make their goodies healthier!! My kids school gives them frozen pizza, frozen fish sticks and who even KNOWS whats in all their processed crap at school!We catch all of our fish locally (or my step dad catches it and cleans it for us)... we get our chicken from my family farm so organic and no hormones... we get our beef local... kill and clean our own deer meat.... I do what I can to give the kiddos as fresh as possible... but in the end they still enjoy the goodies.
daycare 08:01 PM 09-07-2014
I don't think 100% is possible for anyone.
I am an extreme eater and id love to say 100% of my diet is vegan and not manufactured. But then I would be lying.
I know it's possible, but it would be extremely hard. I eat hummus from whole foods that's a healthy cheat but it's still not as good for you as fresh grown products zero manufacture.
I am a personal trainer on the side and I tell all my clients dosage and duration.
Unless you grow your own food and raise your own meat it would be impossible to eat 100% healthy.
Then again. What is your definition of healthy.
I am an extreme eater and id love to say 100% of my diet is vegan and not manufactured. But then I would be lying.
I know it's possible, but it would be extremely hard. I eat hummus from whole foods that's a healthy cheat but it's still not as good for you as fresh grown products zero manufacture.
I am a personal trainer on the side and I tell all my clients dosage and duration.
Unless you grow your own food and raise your own meat it would be impossible to eat 100% healthy.
Then again. What is your definition of healthy.