Stuck In A Meal Rut...What Do You Guys Serve For Lunches?

[MaritimeMummy]

I need to change up my menu. I do sweet and sour meatballs and rice, turkey vegetable soup, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese and ham, hand-breaded, baked chicken nuggets, beef and veggie stir fry. Peanut butter sandwiches on Fridays at my daughter's request (she'd eat them until they came out her ears if I let her).

Not on a food program or anything. I plan all my meals and buy all my ingredients. I just feel like I'm running out of originality, the kids are all like, "meh", and it's getting to be a huge hassle cooking all this food and having the kids waste it because it's not a hot dog or canned pasta and tomato sauce.

Help?

[Blackcat31]

Have you thought about asking the kids what items/meals they would like to see on the menu?

I used to have all my kiddos give me input about their favorite meals/snacks and based my menus off those.....

[MaritimeMummy]

I used to have all my kiddos give me input about their favorite meals/snacks and based my menus off those.....

My kids are too young. My oldest (my daughter) just turned 3 and would eat PB & J every day. Not really balanced, haha. My 2.5 year old DCG would just say, "Ah dunno", and my 23 and 19 month old DCKs would look at me blankly and not respond (19 month old has no words yet, 23 month old only repeats what people say). My 14 month old son eats anything.

I've even tried asking the parents if there is a particular meal their kids woudl like to see, and they always say the same thing: "oh no, nothing particular, my DD/DS eats anything and really appreciates a nice homecooked meal!"

I am feeling like I'm throwing my money in the garbage because they are not eating what I am cooking!!

[Blackcat31]

My kids are too young. My oldest (my daughter) just turned 3 and would eat PB & J every day. Not really balanced, haha. My 2.5 year old DCG would just say, "Ah dunno", and my 23 and 19 month old DCKs would look at me blankly and not respond (19 month old has no words yet, 23 month old only repeats what people say). My 14 month old son eats anything.

LOL! I didn't realize your kids were that young so I can see how asking them would not work... ::

I've even tried asking the parents if there is a particular meal their kids woudl like to see, and they always say the same thing: "oh no, nothing particular, my DD/DS eats anything and really appreciates a nice homecooked meal!"

That usually means "We either only eat take out, or finger foods that they can eat on their own, whenever they feel like it.

I am feeling like I'm throwing my money in the garbage because they are not eating what I am cooking!!

I bet since your DCK's are the age they are, that no matter what you cook or make, they would be sparse and/or picky since most kids that age are.

I can PM you some pre-made menus from the food program if you want so you can get some new ideas. Just let me know.

[MaritimeMummy]

Yes, please! :-D

[SilverSabre25]

Did you poke through the weekly menu thread in the meals forum? That should have some good ideas.

With the young 'uns I find that "Bits n pieces" lunches work well--get a grain, a protein, a veg, and a fruit and toss it on a plate...kind of like lunchables but homemade and a lot more variety. Sure it's a lot of finger foods but at least it's REAL. And at that age there's nothing wrong with not having "an entree and two sides" or anything fancy. Intersperse your fancier stuff with simple fare and homemade version of kid food and you should be good to go.

You don't have anything "Mexicanish" on there--you could cook ground beef with taco seasoning (I make my own) and serve it with cheese and sour cream and pieces of avocado, as well as tortilla chips. You could make it meatless by heating refried beans with taco seasoning, too.

Lasanga has been a hit with my kiddos and you can get noodles that don't need pre-baked, so it's pretty easy to make.

Spaghetti with homemade sauce (messy but usually a hit). Have fun with different shapes of pasta!

Grilled Cheese is usually a guarentee around here, too--with or without tomato soup.

[laundrymom]

Our fav meal right now is eggs, ham, strawberries& mashed potatoes. W toast. Lol. They love it.

[Blackcat31]

Yes, please! :-D

Try these links as the one is a PDF file of a ton of weekly menus for child cares for both meals and snacks. http://www.nfsmi.org/documentlibrary...0203013049.pdf

and this one is the link to my food program's site that has a ton of things (recipe's included) for ALL meals and snacks. It is for parents to look at too so I don't see why they shouldn't be veiwable to you as well.

http://childcareinfo.com/FoodandFitness/MealPlanning/RecipesandMenus.aspx

Click on the picture in each box (lunch, breakfast, dinner etc) and an expanded area will open up with recipe's and ideas for each item.

[Meyou]

This thread is from last year but it's awesome!! I still refer back to it.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33259

[spud912]

Here are some of my kids favorites:

1. Homemade whole wheat lasagna (with hidden vegetables in the sauce)
2. Homemade spaghetti with veggies in the sauce and whole wheat noodles
3. Red beans and rice (made with lots of vegetables, turkey kielbasa and brown rice)
4. Cooked ham with steamed green beans and corn; usually served with pineapple
5. Homemade pizza on whole wheat dough (I usually do pineapple and Canadian bacon)
6. Broiled cheeseburger "sliders" (made with lean ground beef, cheese, homemade 1000 Island, whole grain mini buns, lettuce and tomatoes); usually served with baked beans and fruit
7. Slow cooked orange marmalade chicken; served with steamed carrots and brown rice
8. Slow cooked pot roast; served with carrots and potatoes
9. Sauteed pork chops; served with steamed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes
10. Quesadilla on whole wheat tortillas; served with steamed broccoli and fruit
11. Bean and cheese burrito on whole wheat tortillas; served with steamed broccoli and fruit

I have a whole slew of other ideas if you need more .

[daycarediva]

Every kid under two that I have ever had, I put their food in a $1 store muffin tin (6 spots) and give them bits of lots of different food. Fresh chicken tenderloin, cooked diced carrots, cooked broccoli, shredded cheese, yogurt and diced strawberries, that kind of thing. VERY LITTLE cooking required, and they usually eat all of it. Since your group is small/young, could you make dinner the night before and reserve some to reheat for daycare lunch the following day? That worked well for me when I had a small group of young kids.

My lunch menu is all picked out by my daycare kids/my own kids. I showed them the food program components and they helped me plan meals.

Here are some for September:
chicken parmesian, tossed salad, pears & wheat bun
baked fish on wheat roll, broccoli & carrots
french toast sticks, garbanzo beans, green beans and honeydew
whole grain spaghetti, pasta sauce, tossed salad, cucumber sticks & broccoli, turkey meatballs
turkey tacos on wheat soft shell, mango & peas
homemade chicken nuggets, green beans, applesauce and wheat bun
hm pancakes, turkey bacon, corn & canteloupe
tuna salad on wheat toast, spinach & beans (greens and beans for those who know what it is) & oranges
grilled chicken on wheat roll, cauliflower & peaches
homemade egg mcmuffins with cheese, zucchini and banana
homemade mac & cheese with wheat pasta, corn and kale
grilled ham and cheese on wheat, peas and tomato soup
stuffed shells (ground turkey, cheese filling) tossed salad, pineapple
baked chicken, baked sweet potatoes, green beans and wheat roll
deli day (homemade lunchables) celery & pb, fruit salad
baked ziti with ground turkey, squash and pears
bean burrito on wheat, blueberries and asparagus
turkey breast, mashed potato, broccoli, hm cranberry sauce and wheat roll


hope that helps

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I have been posting my lunches at www.facebook.com/MrsSteinelsHouse
I was having issues yesterday with uploading but, I will try to here in a bit
I try to keep plain vegies.. yes, my kidos have been really into peas lately so we have been eating those a lot!

[MizzCheryl]

Yogurt, toast, fresh watermelon, mandarine oranges.
String cheese, blueberries, Broccli(steamed for 2 mins, chilled and served with dip) wheat rolls.
Spaghetti and corn.
salmon cakes, hush puppies, fries(baked) peaches
Chicken, rice. stri fry veggies, pineapple

I like to fix the cold meals up and just pull them outta the fridge.
Pnutbutter sandwiches and fruit with string cheese. Kids love it.
But the kids all time fav is breakfast for lunch.
Oatmeal, eggs, hashbrowns, apple sauce.
Or cinnamon rolls, omlets, tator tots, apples.


Bananas in a hotdog bun with peanut butter and jelly inside, and fruit.
We do alot of health stuff but sometimes the need a break with some kid friendly stuff, especially in the summer.

[BumbleBee]

I need to change up my menu. I do sweet and sour meatballs and rice, turkey vegetable soup, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese and ham, hand-breaded, baked chicken nuggets, beef and veggie stir fry. Peanut butter sandwiches on Fridays at my daughter's request (she'd eat them until they came out her ears if I let her).

Not on a food program or anything. I plan all my meals and buy all my ingredients. I just feel like I'm running out of originality, the kids are all like, "meh", and it's getting to be a huge hassle cooking all this food and having the kids waste it because it's not a hot dog or canned pasta and tomato sauce.

Help?

Pancakes & sausage, hot ham & cheese sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, noodles w/meat sauce, pot roast w/potatoes & carrots, chili, hamburgers.

That's all I've got off the top of my head.