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 | 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.
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!