How Are Kiddos Served Meals In Your Program?

[Unregistered]

Restaurant style......family style drives me nuts! I do lots of extra stuff with the kids, but lunch time is a big job and I personally don't have the patience for family style.

I have given kids small portions if they tend waste lots. There's always more if they want it. I tend to have good eaters, I don't know why. Most of my meals are homemade, from scratch, with a focus on fresh, local and organic.

I'm one who will give seconds to good eaters even if they have not eaten everything. If they only eat the carbs or only eat the fruit, then no. But if have eaten everything but their veggies, sure I will give them more spaghetti or roast beef.

[KayB]

This would drive me nuts. They would all come with so much junk. They may not eat everything I serve, but at least they are being exposed to it.

Lunch is stress free at my house. They can eat or asked to be excused and read a book. All my kids are 2.5 and under.

Actually since I have been doing it this way they all come with pretty healthy lunches! Most of the times it is left over dinner from the night before.

[LadyK8]

Restaurant style. I feed an infant while they are eating, I can't sit with them.
Eat or go hungry. No catering here.

This is the same situation I'm in.

[Heidi]

Actually since I have been doing it this way they all come with pretty healthy lunches! Most of the times it is left over dinner from the night before.

Good to hear. I think my families now would do okay, but I here from my center cohorts in town that there is a lot of junk in their'kids lunches, and they constantly have to remind parents of the regulations. In WI, even if parents provide the lunch, we have to make sure it meets the licensing regulations, which are the same as the food program regulations. If there is a missing component, we have to add it.

[renodeb]

When I worked at kinder Kare there was excessive food waste. I have been lucky with having kids that eat whatever I offer. I plate the food on trays I bought at walmart. They usually eat all and ask for more. I sit in there with them or I'am feeding a baby while there eatting. I have one kid that simply will not eat any green veges so I offer a small amount for him. There is little waste. Lunch can be a tough time, hang in there.

[jenboo]

Actually since I have been doing it this way they all come with pretty healthy lunches! Most of the times it is left over dinner from the night before.

Thats great! i know most of my kids would come with easy mac, dino nuggets and fruit snacks.

[Unregistered]

Restaurant style. I feed an infant while they are eating, I can't sit with them.
Eat or go hungry. No catering here.

Totally agree!!

[Renae82]

Family style. Little to no food waste since switching. Not sure where the germ factor comes in? Mine serve the food with tongs, not their hands. Kids serve themselves everything except fruit, I serve that. They learn quickly to only take what they will actually eat and I require that they take enough of everything to at least have a taste. Other than that they decide how much they can eat.

[AmyKidsCo]

I do family style but don't sit with them because I'm always running around and never get a chance to sit down anyway. I serve seconds to avoid any "cross contamination" in case the serving spoon would touch their used plates. (gasp!) Not that I'm worried about it, it's just a CYA thing.

[KiddieCahoots]

Restaurant style here.
I know my CDA instructor and EI suggest using family style for lots of positive reasons, but it just doesn't seem to work out for me here.
Cannot handle having to say "take the piece you touch" and "only touch one at a time" anymore. And as much of a good idea the tongs are, I could totally see my kids, especially my own son, using the tongs as a weapon for a sword fight, !