Daycare Menus: Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack Ideas

Have you run out of menu ideas for your daycare, or are you simply looking for ideas to add to your current menu? If so, then you are in the right place!

I know that coming up with a healthy menu for your daycare can be challenging, time-consuming, and even use up resources trying to brainstorm. But, I have simplified this process for you!

In this guide, I will take you through several samples of daycare menus, breakfast, lunch and snack ideas. These ideas are easy to prepare and won't strain your pockets.

In addition, the menu ideas we shall speak about below meet the meal guidelines laid down for daycares. Also, your kids will love these meals, including the picky eaters.

Table of Contents

Breakfast Ideas

Header	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Week 1	Oatmeal Blueberries Milk	Coffee cake Apple juice Milk	Rice Krispies Pears Milk	Whole grain bread Orange fruit juice Milk	Bagel Bananas Milk
Week 2	Kix cereal Strawberries Milk	Blueberry muffin Fresh peaches Milk	Cream of wheat Orange fruit juice Milk	Pancakes Grapes Milk	Grain bread Fresh fruit Milk
Week 3	English muffin Blueberries Milk	Wheat toast Applesauce packet Milk	Quaker puffed rice Orange fruit juice Milk	Waffles Grape fruit juice Milk	Cake donut Kiwi Milk
Week 4	Jelly toast Bananas Milk	Cinnamon rolls Applesauce packet Milk	Corn Chex Fresh fruit Milk	Personalized pancakes Orange fruit juice Milk	Cheerios Strawberries Milk
Week 5	Quaker puffed wheat Apple wedges Milk	Monster toast Pears Milk	Danish pastry Orange juice Milk	Corn flakes Plums Milk	Strawberry muffin Bananas Milk

Daycare Lunch

Header	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Week 1	Chicken drum sticks Mashed Potatoes Green beans Apple slices Milk	Bean & beef burrito Green salad Diced peaches Milk	Canned tuner with light mayonnaise Steamed carrots Banana wheat crackers Milk	Turkey & Cheese sandwiches Roasted veggies Baked potato wedges Milk	Macaroni and cheese yogurt pouches Peas and shredded carrots Tropical fruit salad Milk
Week 2	Butternut squash Steamed rice Mixed fresh fruit Peas Milk	Hamburger on bun Snap peas Peaches Milk	Spinach & cheese quesadillas Canned corn Grapes Milk	Ham & bean soup Cornbread Avocado egg salad Plums Milk	Turkey & cheese wrap Yoghurt Carrot sticks Watermelon Milk
Week 3	Deli meat Mashed potatoes Broccoli Peaches Milk	Pancakes Hardboiled eggs Potato wedges Plums Milk	Beef stroganoff Broccoli Piece of fruit, e.g., pears Milk	Chicken noodle soup French bread Apple slices Milk	Corn dogs Steamed carrots Fresh fruit cocktail Milk
Week 4	Turkey & cheese sandwiches Peas Grapes Milk	Swedish meatballs Egg noodles Pinto beans Peaches Milk	Stirfry rice Cauliflower Apple slices Milk	Chicken fajita Tortillas Applesauce pouch Milk	Cheese pizza rolls Yogurt Shredded carrots
Week 5	Barbecued pork Ciabatta roll Coleslaw Peaches Milk	Buttered pasta with bacon and parmesan Green beans Grapes Milk	Baked ham Mashed potatoes Broccoli Mango slices Milk	Scrambled eggs Veggie muffins Cucumber Blueberries Milk	Favorite nut butter banana sandwich Celery sticks Strawberries Milk

Daycare Snack Menu Ideas

Header		Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Week 1	AM snack	English muffin Grape fruit juice	Rice cake Apple juice	Instant banana pudding String cheese	Cheerios treats Tropical fruit juice	Cottage cheese Carrot sticks
Cell	PM snack	Ham cubes Cubed cheese	Monkey bars rolled in special K cereal	Yogurt tube Grain crackers	Apple cookies Cheese pizza rolls	Bunny crackers Boiled egg
Week 2	AM snack	Banana sandwiches Cherry fruit juice	Cheese mini pizza Apple-grape juice	Favorite nut butter cookies Favorite fruit balls	Veggie muffins Flavored milk	Boiled egg Piece of fruit, e.g., watermelon
Cell	PM snack	Animal crackers Flavored milk	Nachos with goat cheese	Pasta salad Rice cake	Grain crackers Grapes	Popovers Milk
Week 3	AM snack	Surprise pizza puffs	Yogurt pouches Celery and carrot sticks	Cubed cheese Grapes	Animal crackers Cherry fruit juice	Pasta salad Hardboiled egg
Cell	PM snack	Soft bread or pretzel Apple juice	Chocolate chip cookie Flavored milk	Yoghurt dry cereal sundaes	Teddy Grahams Banana	Noodle pack Strawberries
Week 4	AM snack	String cheese Kiwi	Grain sandwich bread Cherry juice	Granola bars Grape juice	Cheese slices Wheat crackers	Grain bread stick Apple juice
Cell	PM snack	Fresh veggies pizza	Rice Krispie treats Apple juice	Cheesy potato sticks Tropical juice	Club crackers Grapes	Sugar cookies Flavored milk
Week 5	AM snack	Coffee cake Flavored milk	Ants on a log Strawberry juice	Cottage cheese Raw soft veggies	Apple finger cubes Grain crackers	Sandwich bread flat Milk
Cell	PM snack	Chicken nuggets Apple fruit juice	Cubed cheese Ritz crackers	Muffin pizza	Yogurt tube	Cake donut Apple cider

Daycare Menu Tips

So far, we have seen a variety of vegetables, fruits, and other nutritious foods that you can include in your daycare menu.

But before we conclude our topic today, let's see the tips you will need to remember as you introduce these menus to the young ones.

Safety

Remember to clean your hands before preparing the meals. Also, ensure that your cookware is clean and in perfect condition.

Additionally, clean fruits and vegetables thoroughly before cooking or consumption; This is to ensure they are free from pesticides and other pollutants that stick on their surfaces.

how to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables

Textures

Try to mix various food textures in your daycare recipes. For example, you can pair crunchy meat alternates with a soft fruit match.

Incorporating different textures in your servings will make eating fun. Moreover, you will be teaching the children what various foods look like and how they feel.

Small meals

Remember to serve small portions of food per child to avoid food wastage. Then, if a kid is not full, you can add some more food.

As a rule of thumb, you can serve each child one tablespoon for every year in their age. So, for example, you will serve five tablespoons of food to a kid who is five years old.

Also, get partitioned plates since they will help you serve the right food portions.

Repetition

If the food you prepared today wasn't well-received, you can allow that recipe to rest for several days and then cook it differently another day.

For example, if the kids didn't like the sweet potatoes you prepared using a traditional technique, you can consider baking them next time to give them a crispy taste. This way, you haven't given up on healthy food!

Food Groups

To ensure you provide the kids with balanced meals each day, you'll have to be very keen on the food groups you serve. Each menu we have gone through above has considered this.

For example, you will need to go for whole-grain bread, oatmeal wraps, and pasta since it is a healthier option for the kids.

Also, add protein foods (at least one) to the meals. Additionally, you will need to ensure that the protein is lean; fat meat will deprive a child of healthy growth.

Last but not least, don't forget to add some fruits and vegetables to the meals; these will provide great nutritional value to the kids and help them in their learning processes.

Final Word

I know the above list on daycare menus, breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas will call forth your creativity, and you will keep borrowing from these menu guidelines often.

And that's it for today! From this end, I wish happy feeding to those fantastic souls. Keep adding smiles on their faces from the beautiful and nutritious meals you will serve them daily; the entire universe is very proud of you!