Cook from Scratch or Premade meals

[mema]

I do a lot from scratch also. It does get easier the more you do it. I have a small group, so usually whatever we have for supper, we have for lunch the next day. Naptime I prep supper/lunch. Crockpots, oven meals, double batches

[jenboo]

Can you please share your chicken nugget recipe? I've tried a few different recipes, but the kids haven't like any of them. I think it's the texture. Thanks!

Here you go. Kids love them!! I dont make the fun shapes though..too much work haha

http://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-kids-recipes/toddler-perfect-chicken-nuggets.php

[countrymom]

you know whats awful, I cook from scratch but the daycare kids aren't keen. They are so use to processed food its sickening. So I usually try to balance. But whats more sad is my own kids (all 4 older children) won't eat process food, they would rather have me slave over a stove than eat a tv dinner, drives me nuts some days.

[Cradle2crayons]

I do everything from scratch except crackers and cheese .

I buy those foil pans and make meals in those and label and freeze them. I do all casseroles this way also.

I make up the ingredients for pizza dough or rolls etc in ziplocks and label and store so when I want to use it it's ready except for yeast or liquid ingredients.

Prep is the key. Crock pots are awesome.

[akpayne]

I cook everything from scratch. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty appalled by the things you listed that you serve. I believe in clean, nutritious meals to balance our minds and body and I would never serve my daycare kids any less either. My parents often rave about my meals and my daycare kids are great eaters.

[jenboo]

you know whats awful, I cook from scratch but the daycare kids aren't keen. They are so use to processed food its sickening. So I usually try to balance. But whats more sad is my own kids (all 4 older children) won't eat process food, they would rather have me slave over a stove than eat a tv dinner, drives me nuts some days.

I do a 3 week rotating menu and switch it up every 6 months. It usually takes a good 2-3 months for the kids to adjust to the food (minus one child who eats really good).
Its sad how many kids grow up on processed foods!!!

[TwinKristi]

I cook everything from scratch. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty appalled by the things you listed that you serve. I believe in clean, nutritious meals to balance our minds and body and I would never serve my daycare kids any less either. My parents often rave about my meals and my daycare kids are great eaters.

What works for you doesn't work for everyone!

I do mostly homemade. The things I don't do homemade are usually organic boxed Mac-n-cheese, (the kids never eat my homemade, I've given up on that battle!) gluten free waffles, corn tortillas, mashed potatoes, cereal, crackers, applesauce and certain snacks like Pirate's Booty or PopChips. I have one guy who I do a gluten free diet for so a lot of frozen/premade things don't work. I've adjusted everyone's diet so we can just have one meal to make (except Mac n cheese, he has separate since the other kids think the GF is pretty gnarly and it's 3x the cost) but I make my chicken nuggets from scratch now. I use this recipe and it's super yummy! I use Chex and Bob's RedMill GF all purpose baking mix since the GF Bisquick is so expensive.http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/o...ckentender.htm

[Christina72684]

I cook everything from scratch. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty appalled by the things you listed that you serve. I believe in clean, nutritious meals to balance our minds and body and I would never serve my daycare kids any less either. My parents often rave about my meals and my daycare kids are great eaters.

I would love to cook everything from scratch. However, I don't know how to cook, any free time after work hours is spent with my 3yr old and 8 month old, and I guarantee my DC kids eat A LOT worse at home. We're on the food program and serve only foods that are allowed. They receive a grain, meat, veggie, and fruit every day for lunch. I think we could be serving a lot worse!

[renodeb]

To be honest, I do about 50/50. Much of what I cook the night before can be fed to the dc and they love it. I would love to cook more and more form scratch but its hard with two new babies in the dc. The dc parents are always amazed at what there kids will eat here!
I would love to see some recipes posted on here.
Deb

[taylorw1210]

I would love to cook everything from scratch. However, I don't know how to cook, any free time after work hours is spent with my 3yr old and 8 month old, and I guarantee my DC kids eat A LOT worse at home. We're on the food program and serve only foods that are allowed. They receive a grain, meat, veggie, and fruit every day for lunch. I think we could be serving a lot worse!

Some of my DCK's have come in eating CHEETOS for BREAKFAST. It quickly got thrown away and replaced with something far healthier, even though I don't serve breakfast. I could not bring myself to allow that child to eat cheetos for breakfast.

I also do a mix of home made/pre-made. A lot of my dinners I cook extra and serve that for lunch the next day. I have a couple really good eaters, who you can tell go home and eat healthy food. And then I have a few really picky eaters who won't touch simple things like home made spaghetti and meatballs - but would eat the heck out of spaghettios all day, everyday. :confused:

[LadyK8]

I cook everything from scrap. My household doesn't eat pre-made meals.

[NeedaVaca]

I would love to cook everything from scratch. However, I don't know how to cook, any free time after work hours is spent with my 3yr old and 8 month old, and I guarantee my DC kids eat A LOT worse at home. We're on the food program and serve only foods that are allowed. They receive a grain, meat, veggie, and fruit every day for lunch. I think we could be serving a lot worse!

You can learn and it would be something you can do with your kids, the 3 yr old can help measure, dump, mix, stir, etc. It can be educational and fun Plus you would be teaching her about good eating habits and that can last her entire lifetime.

You can find tons of easy recipes online, make casseroles, quick crockpot meals, roast a chicken in the oven, can have it for dinner and then make soup or quesadillas the next day. It doesn't have to be fancy!

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

From scratch but like Sandra Lee sometimes it is semi homemade
So pizza crust, super easy in the food processor. But I use jared organic spaghetti sauce. I use blocks of mozzarella, I run it though the food processor.
I plan on 2 meals that use the sauce that week, or freeze the rest.
I use bottled bbq sauce (natural sauce), organic salsa, organic ketchup etc.

I think that planning is the key. I try to prep what I can the evening before early in the morning. For example this morning I peeled and cut up the potatoes for the mashed potatoes and put them in the pot with water so all I had to do was turn them on.

This weeks menu
Monday- Mac and cheese (they had this on Friday too. When I make the cheese sauce I do better making the larger batch so it does 2 meals. So early morning I make the cheese sauce. I put half into the crock pot on keep warm and half into a canning jar in the frig and make the macaroni fresh for the each meal. So I do tend to do the Friday/ Monday combo) They had broccoli (frozen) and bananas and strawberries (fresh)

Tuesday- BBQ pork (put pork in crock pot early this morning) Mashed Potatoes (peeled early) Green Beans (canned) and apples.

Wednesday- Meatballs (homemade, made in an evening and frozen so they will go in the oven with spaghetti sauce- jarred) spaghetti (boil at lunchtime) Cauliflower (frozen) Cantaloupe (fresh cut up early morning)

Thursday- Tacos (meat browned early morning and placed in crockpot) Whole wheat tortillas (purchased) corn (frozen) strawberries (fresh)

Friday Homemade cheese pizza as described above. Broccoli (frozen) bananas

AM snack is cheerios or pb toast and milk.
Dinners are simpler. Cheese, crackers, raw vegies, fruit. Sandwiches, vegies, fruit etc.

[akpayne]

You can learn and it would be something you can do with your kids, the 3 yr old can help measure, dump, mix, stir, etc. It can be educational and fun Plus you would be teaching her about good eating habits and that can last her entire lifetime.

You can find tons of easy recipes online, make casseroles, quick crockpot meals, roast a chicken in the oven, can have it for dinner and then make soup or quesadillas the next day. It doesn't have to be fancy!

Exactly this! I also have two young children, a full house all day and manage to make healthy tasty meals everyday. A little organization goes a long way.