lunch menu at daycare centers

is DC's menu varied, what do you think of it ?

I called a Tutor time for pricing info, and when they reviewed their weekly menu :
mon - soup & sandwich
tues - mac and cheese
wed - chicken nuggets
thurs - pizza
fri - I cant remember???

I was kind of shocked by this.
I said to the woman "no offense, but you are serving the same kind of junk every week,
She said they try to keep it kid friendly but do balance it out with veggies & fruits.

IDK, but that turned me off. I understand some kids are picky eaters, but that is all you are serving? With the obesity epidemic, Im surprised by this.

Maybe I'm spoiled, my daycare serves other things like roasted chicken, rice
tacos, meatloaf.
They vary it and its more nutritious.
they do have mac and cheese, pizza but its not constantly.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Here is my tutor times menu for next week:

6
Breakfast: English muffins & fruit

Lunch: Meatballs, buttered bread, sauce, and carrots

2:30 Pears
4:30 YL – Yogurt
5:00 P - Graham crackers 7
Breakfast: Make your own parfait

Lunch: Pasta salad with ham and ranch dressing & green beans
2:30 Make your own frozen yogurt
4:30 YL/5:00 P- Vanilla wafers 8
Breakfast: Blueberry muffins & fruit

Lunch: Chicken nuggets, tater tots with carrots

2:30 Oranges
4:30 YL – Yogurt
5:00 P - Pretzels 9
Breakfast: French toast sticks & fruit

Lunch: Grilled cheese with pickles

2:30 Applesauce
4:30 YL – Yogurt
5:00 P - Goldfish 10
Breakfast: Cereal & bananas

Lunch: Pizza with mixed vegetables

2:30 Ice pops
4:30 YL – Yogurt
5:00 P - Teacher’s choice


****

some weeks are healthier than others.. but they ALWAYS accompany every meal with fruit and/or veggie..snacks are always a fruit plus whatever else they are doing that day.

they sometimes have yogurt fro BF..cucumbers for snack.. it varies.

Message edited 6/2/2011 10:49:07 AM.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Sounds very similar to my DS's lunch menu.

Not the most healthy, but probably the easiest to get the kids to eat.

If you think about it, lunch menus at public school are just as bad.

It's cheap and easy to serve in bulk.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

We get a monthly menu and besides pizza & salad every friday, it varies a lot throughout the month and is never the same every week, which I like. I pack DD's lunch probably 50% of the time and give her their lunch 50%.

Some things on the lunch menu:

-penne alfredo with giant turkey meatballs
-mac & cheese with hidden veggies
-roasted bbq chicken
-turkey sammies
-grilled cheese
-chicken nuggets

All meals come with a roll & veggies and sometimes pasta on the side.

They provide snacks like crackers & cereal but I usually send in a banana for AM, yogurt for dessert and other fruit (grapes, peaches, etc) for PM snack.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

I also use a Tutor Time and it's pretty similar to what was mentioned. They always have a fruit and veggie, other meals include:

Turkey
Grilled chicken
Turkey burgers
Cheese sandwiches
Chicken nuggets
Pizza
Tacos

DS is only 18 months, so the menu may be a bit different for the older kids.

At our Tutor Time, you can't send lunch in, because they don't want the kids refusing to eat certain foods because someone else's lunch looks better.

Message edited 6/2/2011 12:45:15 PM.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

the menu at kindercare is quite varied. They get bkfast, am snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack..all i know is DS eats like a king. and its pretty balanced stuff.

I agree though, I would be a little upset at the menu but I also know DS can be a pain in the butt to feed.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

they seem to be putting ALL of their "kid friendly" ie less healthy meals all in one week!!

The tutor time I go to has like one of those choice per week...the rest are healthy.. but that week would annoy me as well.. too much "fun" stuff in one week.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

My son goes to Tutor Time and he only has pizza, chicken nuggets or mac and cheese a few times each month.

They have ham or turkey sandwiches, spaghetti with meatballs and a few other dishes that I can't think of right now. Also sometimes when they have pizza its not the regular square frozen kids pizza, they have English muffin pizzas.They even have breakfast for lunch sometimes with eggs and french toast or pancakes. They always serve a veggie & fruit with lunch (on breakfast for lunch days its only fruit)

I have been very pleased with his menu so far.

DS is in the toddler room - he is 2.5 yrs old

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

We use Tutor Time- I don't have the menu, and DD is still in the infant room- but she does eat table foods off the menu

She does eat mac n cheese and pizza- but always with a fruit and a vege.
They also have some variety- like bean and cheese burritos, cheese quesidillas, noodle casserole, etc
They always serve a fruit and vege with the meals though.

I really don't expect much more. I feed her pretty much the same thing at home since we don't cook family meals- and I'm usually just trying to heat up something quick because she is screaming and needs her dinner and bedtime.
IDK- what are babies and toddlers supposed to be eating? Grilled chicken over a salad?
I really don't see how this menu would cause obesity.
I ate a LOT worse as a kid.

Message edited 6/2/2011 2:39:34 PM.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

My son goes to TT and sometimes I cringe when I see he's eating hamburgers, but then shocked when he ate all his cauliflower. Their lunch is varied and yes there is nuggets, pizza and hamburger but they also have turkey sandwich, pasta and tacos as well.

My son rarely eats a ton at home so I am glad they are serving food he actually eats and yes alway veggies and/or fruit with his lunch.

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Im not at tutor time but I like mine.

Its varied but odd sometimes. They do not serve a 'breakfast' per se and have been know to provide french toast for lunch but its like once a month so I'm meh about it.

Every morning its fruits and veggies for morning snack (with crackers, toast or muffin).

Lunch is all sorts of stuff, pop corn chicken, hamburgers, penne pasta, chicken Cheese quesadillas, Meatballs in gravy, tuna sandwich, mac/cheese with ham, chicken burger, bean tacos, turkey sandwiches, beans and franks, mini turkey corn dogs. However.. every single meal has a serving of veggie and a serving of fruit.

Afternoon snack is more fruit and veggies with cracker, chip or animal cracker.

Our place gets an outside caterer. They used to serve a turkey wrap that none of the kids ate so it was taken off the menu. I've seen the food myself that they serve. All homemade, not frozen and reheated, all made as healthy as they can and every meal has a vegetarian option as well. Which occassionally I will choose.

We pay $3 a day for each day we want lunch to be served to our child. If not, we can bring in our own. I rarely, but have been known to, do this only on days I think charging me is stupid (like bean taco day, REALLY? $3?!? umm no)

Re: lunch menu at daycare centers

Mine doesn't go to Tutor Time but I bring his lunch and dinner (on late days). He goes 3x per week.

Message edited 7/5/2011 8:50:33 AM.