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newtodaycare22 09:21 AM 09-03-2010
I just joined the food program this week and was given a sample menu cycle for 6 weeks. Little was actually mentioned about the distribution of food (mostly just signing papers and going over procedure). I was just wondering if it matters that you repeat things. Like strawberries for snack two times a week or something. I'm sure it says something about repeats in the 9000 papers they gave me...but who feels like reading all that? Thanks!
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marniewon 09:29 AM 09-03-2010
I serve cold cereal, banana and milk EVERY morning for breakfast. In the 5 or so months I've been on the food program, no one has ever said anything about it.
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melskids 09:39 AM 09-03-2010
i was just coming here to ask the same thing....how funny

i have only been on the FP since the beginning of summer, and my first training was about as useful as...well...IDK lol

i am throwing out enormous amounts of food and it is driving me crazy. so what ive been doing is saving the leftovers (stuff that was absolutely not touched..lol) and mixing it together. not the main dish, but like the fruit and veggies. so say i cut up too many strawberries monday, and have extra melon tues. and grapes wed., then thurs it all goes in one bowl and becomes "fruit salad". same with veggies, by wed or thursday, i call it "vegetable melody". i suppose i could freeze extra of the main dish, and use it the next week....

but let me just say again, its extra that was never even put in front of a child, on their plate, or even at the table ...we've been down that thread before
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misol 11:52 AM 09-03-2010
Originally Posted by melskids:
but let me just say again, its extra that was never even put in front of a child, on their plate, or even at the table ...we've been down that thread before
melskids I am cracking up and I am glad that you clarified that

I know that every sponsor is different but in my paperwork I don't recall reading anything about repeats. I think it said that we have to serve a "variety" of foods - which is a loose way of saying don't serve the same foods for the same meal every single day. I try to follow weekly sales at our grocery stores and I offer 2 meals and 1 snack. So I may serve peaches 5 times in one week if they are on sale but since it's paired with a different main dish or other side I don't consider it a repeat. I usually go through the fridge at the end of every week and use up all the things that didn't get eaten earlier in the week so we eat a lot "medley" and "casserole" type stuff on Fridays.

This was discussed in a previous thread but one tip for cutting back on the amount food the kids waste is to serve it family style.
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kidkair 03:53 PM 09-03-2010
Originally Posted by misol:
This was discussed in a previous thread but one tip for cutting back on the amount food the kids waste is to serve it family style.
What exactly is family style?
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Michael 04:03 PM 09-03-2010
I know "family style" from the Amish in PA. It means everyone eats from community portions and servings from the center of the table. Usually you sit at a restaurant and table with people you just met. You are not served separately. Everyone takes food from the main portions served at the center of the table. It's your community table buffet.

http://www.amishcountry.org/family.style.dining
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melskids 04:47 PM 09-03-2010
Originally Posted by Michael:
I know "family style" from the Amish in PA. It means everyone eats from community portions and servings from the center of the table. Usually you sit at a restaurant and table with people you just met. You are not served separately. Everyone takes food from the main portions served at the center of the table. It's your community table buffet.

http://www.amishcountry.org/family.style.dining
my BIL is asian, and in his culture they eat communal like that as well. but i think "family style" is more like putting the food in serving dishes on the table and allowing the children to serve themselves exactly what/how much they want. (as opposed to fixing the plates at the counter, and then just placing it in front of them.) problem is, i do that, and they are putting heaps on their plates and then not eating it. and i still have tons of leftovers i;m not sure what to do with, hence the OP's original question of whether or not we can serve leftovers the next day.
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MarinaVanessa 06:17 PM 09-03-2010
When I was on the food program I had to follow the guidelines which included portions too. I was wasting so much food because they weren't eating it all but I HAD to serve them that much and it was a waste. They always wanted more fruits, less veggies and ate only part of the main dish. Most didn't drink all their milk etc. Now that I'm not on the food program I serve what I know the child will eat and if they eat everything on their plate and ask for more of something I'll give them more of that only, even if it's just the fruit. MUCH less waste this way.

I also don't remember them ever having a problem with me serving something a couple of times a week as long as it wasn't the same entire meal. Like someone said earlier in the post Monday can be corndogs, apples, milk and carrots, Tuesday can be chicken, apples, milk and broccolli etc. And the end of the week it can be whatever you have left in the fridge. Also I LOVE preparing soups and meals ahead of time (chicken soup etc) and freezing it. That way if it doesn't get eaten all up whatever I didn't serve can be frozen and eaten the next week.
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newtodaycare22 07:20 PM 09-03-2010
Thanks for the helpful responses!
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Crystal 09:53 PM 09-03-2010
I have been participating in the Food Program for 13 years. I LOVE it. I am able to feed the children nutritious meals and snacks, and reclaim nearly 100% of my food expenses.

You don't have to measure out exact quantities of food - estimate it, be fairly accurate, and you're fine. On the rare occasion that you get an unnanounced visit from your monitor, she is not going to measure the amounts you give the children, but you need to be fairly close and make sure it's available. You can prepare food, serve small portions onto the children's plates, and offer/provide more if they want it. The foods don't have to be actually served and eaten, they just need to be offered. Any left over foods, even from your own families' meals, as long as they have not been actually served on a plate or directly eaten from, can be covered and served to the children at another time. Practice proper food handling and you're good!
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juliebug 05:31 AM 09-04-2010
I know with my food program that if i serve the same food more than 2 times in one week a get a letter telling me that i served it to many time in one week. i still get paid and nothing happens i just get the letter. so i guess each company that does it must be diffrent some.

I serve family style and offer the kids the food but they don't have to take it that meets the requirements for the food program and i am not wasting tons of food! I hate hate wasting food majior pet peve of mine.
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caitlin 08:50 AM 09-04-2010
I had a big issue with the portions when it came to my little ones just starting to eat table food. They wouldn't eat it all, ever! So, I dipped out what they are supposed to have and then I would spoon some of this onto a smaller plate using a clean spoon. If they wanted more, they could have more off of that plate and what they didn't eat could be saved as leftovers because they weren't touching it.

I have a rule with older children that they can't have seconds on the main dish, but they are welcome to as much fruit and vegetables as they would like. Also, I only give one serving of milk and if they want more to drink I give water.

I've never had trouble with serving foods more than once a week. Something I try to do is incorporate leftovers into something else. For example we had mixed veggies on Wednesday, and Thursday we had "chicken chunks" (basically a chicken nugget without breading) so Thursday evening I used the leftovers to make a chicken pot pie. I used all of the left over chicken (plus a little extra) and all of the left over veggies (plus a little extra that we will have to lunch on Monday).
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Charity 11:23 AM 09-05-2010
I have been looking online for the application for the food program. I love in Louisiana and can not find it. Can someone please help??
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Michael 04:21 PM 09-05-2010
Originally Posted by Charity:
I have been looking online for the application for the food program. I love in Louisiana and can not find it. Can someone please help??
Here you go: https://www.daycare.com/louisiana/lo...d-program.html


Who Is Eligible For CACFP Meals? What Type Of Facilities Participate In CACFP? Ways To Obtain Additional Information About This Program!



Websites Contact Information
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QualiTcare 10:15 PM 09-05-2010
Originally Posted by kidkair:
What exactly is family style?
michael is correct about what family style is. it's sort of like what everyone does "at least here" at thanksgiving or christmas. everything is on the table, and everyone gets what they want - or doesn't get what they don't want.

it's great for preschoolers bc they learn manners, "could you pass me the carrots..." etc.

but you have to make sure the kids know that they MUST put a little of everything on their plate - even if they don't want it (if you're on the food program). otherwise, you can't count that child as having a meal. it's good to make sure they do that from the start. otherwise, you'll be embarrassed when a kid says, "you never made me do that before!" when the state is there.
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newtodaycare22 10:00 AM 09-07-2010
Thanks for all of the help. One more food related question...Does anyone use minute menu and record meals served at different times? I serve breakfast at 7:45 but I have a girl who comes between 8-9 and (sometimes) I save breakfast for her and serve it when she comes. I want to claim it but I'm not sure if I should since my techincal sign in sheet will show that she's not in attendance at 7:45. Thanks for any thoughts!
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marniewon 10:40 AM 09-07-2010
I've never tried it, but there's supposed to be a way to "split" meals, for when you serve the same meal at different times. If you go into the help section on minute menu, search "split meals" and see what it comes up with. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
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grandmom 02:17 PM 09-07-2010
newtodaycare,

marniewon is correct. On the Minuted Menu page leftish side toward the top is "number of servings" click on it and choose 2. Your screen will change to accommodate 2 servings with different times. If it doesn't just email/call your food program and ask them to make the change. It's worth it if you want to claim that child. Simple.
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Carole's Daycare 07:23 AM 09-08-2010
Regarding repeated foods- I too serve banans & ceral several times a week- with breaks for oatmeal, fench toast sticks w/ applesauce lol. I think there's a difference between that and serving hot dogs or corndogs 2-3 times per week! We need to balance serving a variety, serving healthy foods, being cost effective, introducing new foods and expanding their tatstes, and not throwing food in the garbage. No small task. If that means every monday is nuts anyway so Monday is always chicken nugget, fries, and peaches w/ milk and bread, and you switch up the less popular meals in your group less often, or you repeat a favorite food often and serve with a new one- whatever works. Faily style works with older kids to meet guidelines, because you "offer" the food without it being on their plate, and then in the garbage- so another child can have seconds and eat their portion. The trick is of course, kids have to have clean hands, be able to handle the serving utensil, etc.I often serve part of a meal placed on the plate- say, the chicken, and do the baked beans family style, to achieve a similar result with slightly less chaos.
Minute Menu- in your facility information you can designate multiple shifts for meals- I have an early breakfast for early arrivals/kids going to school- and a late one- you can designate lunch time for a kid getting on a preschool bus, then your regular time etc. Just change your times to allow multiples in your facility section under meal serving times. That also helps if you serve snack to little kids after nap, and a later one for big kids off the bus.
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