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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Serving One Meal Component at a Time
mamamanda 05:53 PM 01-21-2016
For those of you who serve one component at a time, how do you decide when to serve the next food? Not sure I want to go this route, but I'm considering it. I have a couple I know will not eat their veggies though even if that is all thats offered. Do you just wait a certain number of minutes before serving the next thing, or wait until most have eaten? I was thinking the veggies might be more appealing to them if that's the only thing available at the beginning of the meal when everyone is hungry. I've been trying to get creative and serve meals that have the veggies included in the entree so they are kind of "tricked" into eating them, but I have a couple that will just refuse to eat. Today we had veggie omelettes for lunch and dcg refused to eat even a bite. She got down and waited for the next meal. And she likes omelettes! She just didn't want veggies. I wish it just didn't bother me.
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daycare 06:48 PM 01-21-2016
I've done it this way for 12 years

Our rule is veggie first, protein, grain, fruit milk last.
You just try two hurts of each and when you have you can move on to your next item.

Works very well for me. 😀
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midaycare 06:56 PM 01-21-2016
Lunch time is an event here. It takes me awhile to cook some days. So I usually start out with fruit or veggie, and then another component, then another, etc.
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sharlan 07:07 PM 01-21-2016
Originally Posted by daycare:
I've done it this way for 12 years

Our rule is veggie first, protein, grain, fruit milk last.
You just try two hurts of each and when you have you can move on to your next item.

Works very well for me. 😀
Technically not allowed on the food program.

I did it this way for years, 1 item at a time. After I joined the food program my fantastic eaters started eating only fruit. I started giving them larger veggie portions and smaller everything else. It took me over 6 mos, but they're eating great again.
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daycare 07:14 PM 01-21-2016
Originally Posted by sharlan:
Technically not allowed on the food program.

I did it this way for years, 1 item at a time. After I joined the food program my fantastic eaters started eating only fruit. I started giving them larger veggie portions and smaller everything else. It took me over 6 mos, but they're eating great again.
this is true, however, I have cleared it with mine and she said as long as I am putting each component on their plate according to the required serving size she will allow it.
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NoMoreJuice! 09:17 PM 01-21-2016
I missed something, I've never heard of serving one component at a time. It seems like many of you do this, can you explain it to me? What benefits do you see, do the kids eat veggies better? I've always served all plates with all components at the same time. I have a carboholic in my group that will eat bread and almost nothing else, is this a good solution for him? Please fill me in ladies!
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Josiegirl 02:51 AM 01-22-2016
I know this isn't what you asked but I'd never do it because 3 out of my 5 dcks wouldn't eat anything. I used to think 'if they eat great, if not then there is always next time' but now I'm of the mindset they need to eat something just so they won't be hungry and grumpy for the next 2 hours. I won't give them 2nds unless they've eaten most of what they have but if they just cannot stomach broccoli or peas, I'm not gonna sweat it. I watched my own kids going through not eating veggies during their growing up years and they eat just fine now. In fact, for years they refused milk too. Let's face it, kids are just strange.
With my particular group all I can foresee is mealtime would be a crying fussy time and that's not what I want to deal with.
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renodeb 10:56 PM 01-23-2016
That's a strange method. I have never served the meals that way. I have to admit that sometimes I with hold the fruit until some headway is made on the meal.
Deb
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Nisaryn 08:34 PM 01-25-2016
Only recently started doing this since I decided to let them 'self feed'. I serve one meal component at a time but this is only because since I take infants only...it can get REALLY messy, really fast! It's just easier for me to clean them up and make sure they are actually eating their food (one little guy insists on grabbing big hand-fulls and shoving them into his face...not his mouth...his face...so if I only offer one thing at a time I'm more able to see how much he is actually getting into his body, LOL. I'm also on the Food Program and I've talked with my agent about this and she is ok with it since they are infants (11m, 9m and 8m).
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Laurel 08:47 AM 01-26-2016
I haven't read all the responses but I served the veggies first simply to get them started while I was still preparing other things. It kept them happy and occupied while I was finishing up the other components. If they ate the veggies fine and if they didn't, I just served them the rest when it was ready. But mostly they'd eat the veggies or at least some of them because they were simply hungriest then and the rest of the lunch wasn't ready (or they didn't know it was). No milk until the rest was served. If they were thirsty then some water so they wouldn't fill up on milk and not eat.

P.S. I didn't participate in the food program as I always thought it was a hassle.
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Unregistered 09:06 AM 01-26-2016
Originally Posted by Laurel:
I haven't read all the responses but I served the veggies first simply to get them started while I was still preparing other things. It kept them happy and occupied while I was finishing up the other components. If they ate the veggies fine and if they didn't, I just served them the rest when it was ready. But mostly they'd eat the veggies or at least some of them because they were simply hungriest then and the rest of the lunch wasn't ready (or they didn't know it was). No milk until the rest was served. If they were thirsty then some water so they wouldn't fill up on milk and not eat.

P.S. I didn't participate in the food program as I always thought it was a hassle.
I like this. Would make preparing easier also.
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Laurel 10:02 AM 01-26-2016
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I like this. Would make preparing easier also.
That's originally why I started and then I discovered "Hey they are eating more veggies."
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thrivingchildcarecom 10:04 AM 01-26-2016
What we do is to require the kids to at least try (meaning 2/3-3/4) each course before moving to the next course. I started this early on because you are so right they won't be inclined to eat the veggies if something more to their liking is right there in front of them. Because this is an everyday practice, the kids get use to it and know that they can't just jump to the fruit or sweet stuff.
Another thing I have used for years is the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook that came out years ago. In fact this morning I made the Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins w/carrot puree and believe me I can barely get them out of the oven before the batch is gone. I use this concept in many of the things I cook for the DCK's. I have the most success with getting in the veggies in other ways like this. I know it isn't the raw way, but lets leave something to the parents. At least we can get some veggies into them.
Oh one more thing; whenever I see the juices on sale that incorporate the full serving of fruits and veggies, I snap up a few as well.
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caligirl 12:19 PM 01-26-2016
I have all their food ready, but feed them their veggies and protein first. Like a restaurant would give you your salad first then after most of them have eaten that, I give them the rest. I have a few who are at the picky stage so I wait until the good eaters are finished before giving them the rest of their lunch.

I have one boy here, 17 months, who likes to stuff handfuls of food in his mouth. That just drives me nuts. He apparently does that at home too. He is a bottomless pit. He'd eat all day if he could. So with him, I have to sit by him and give him one bite at a time on his plate so he won't shove everything into his mouth at once
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