Food Questions

[CityGarden]

Would you heat lunches brought from home?
I provide two organic homemade snacks a day but have parents provide lunches. Right now my policies (clear in the contract) state the lunch needs to have an ice pack and be able to be kept okay in the cubby and food should be in a thermos to keep warm if need.... but I have had two families ask if I reheat lunches on their first day...

I am leaning toward saying no because I don't own a microwave and wanted the freedom to easily eat in the park. That said since I am requiring them to provide lunch I want to be considerate to the parent perspective too. I could easily order a microwave on Amazon..... they are pretty cost effective, thoughts?

Got Milk?
One mom wants her son to drink whole meal with snacks and lunch presently I only serve water... I was caught off guard so I said I was okay with him having a small thing of milk in my refrigerator but I am not sure I want to serve him milk but not the other children.... I am also not sure if I want to go back and fourth with mom about milk needs or have her in my refrigerator to check herself. I am okay with providing organic unsweetened almond milk for all...... do you think that would do or would you allow the mom to bring milk just for him each week? Would you buy organic whole milk for all the children? All the food I serve is organic so milk would be an expense but it is a tax write off.

FYI - I am not on the food program and personally do not agree with the recommendations for milk with children. All the children in my care are 2+ just in case you need/want that background when responding.

[Pandaluver21]

I you don't want to warm it up, say no. If you don't mind, then go for it. Think about how it would change your lunch routine if you did or didn't.

The only thing we ask parents to provide is milk. We provide all lunch and snacks. Parents go on a rotation with us to bring milk. One parent will bring it (on Tuesday) then another parent the next Tuesday, then us the following, then another parent the following Tuesday and so on. Once everyone has brought it their week, it starts over. I don't really know how/why we started this, but it works great. If a child is on whole milk or almond milk the parent ONLY provides milk for their child and it is usually 1-2 times a month.

[Unregistered]

Won't it be kind of difficult to take the microwave to the park?

[CityGarden]

Won't it be kind of difficult to take the microwave to the park?

If I allow foods to arrive needing to be heated it would mean not eating in the park....

[finsup]

The microwave thing, I suppose if you wanted to you could always send out a reminder of what days are park days and ask parents not send meals that need to be heated that day. But that does limit being able to come"just go" when you want. It would also depend on how many kids. My group is small, heating food would be easy. But let's say you have 6 and all kids need it heated. That gets annoying and time consuming. Eh I don't know, if I didn't have a microwave, I would probably just say no.

As for milk, I'd either opt for providing the organic whole milk or suggesting she give him milk at dinner and with a snack at home instead. Mostly because I don't do well at remembering who needs what when, or want parents going through my fridge . I provide everything to keep it simple, so simple to me would either being providing it myself or not offering it at all.

[Unregistered]

If I allow foods to arrive needing to be heated it would mean not eating in the park....

Exactly ...
Do you want to change your program for this lesser level of spontaneity?

If there are seasons that you'd like to have warm lunches available, let parents know. Then you are giving them that option sometimes, but not giving up something that is part of what you offer. Here, seasonal hot lunch vs cold lunch would work, but that's a choice you could make.

[laundrymom]

I would remind mom that your group often picnics in the park and you have no way to warm meals there. That you prefer a cold packed lunch or a thermos if a meal needs served warm.
As for the milk, I would allow milk in same thermos type container brought daily or the water you provide to all.

[daycarediva]

I wouldn't accomodate it. I would give resources on keeping packed lunches warm (thermos brand items are wonderful for this!) My kids pack lunches to school and they never have issues with warm foods being warm (eg soups, stews, pasta dishes) I put them warm in the thermos and they stay warm until lunch. Same for cold foods.

If you start reheating, are you going to have to switch containers to warm things up? How long will that take, if say ALL of your kids had things to warm up one day?

Same with milk- I send my kids with horizon organic milks in their lunches to school, they don't need refrigeration.

[bklsmum]

Another thing to think about is that not everything can be reheated in the microwave, some things needs the oven or the stove top or some other thing. In my experience when you give an inch, the parents expect the mile and if you agree to reheat you will end up with instructions like this : "Little Billy needs his tortilla lightly toasted in a frying pan and his chicken lightly grilled in the broiler and then the cheese melted on top in the microwave."
Just something to consider...

[Blackcat31]

Would you heat lunches brought from home?

No.

Got Milk?

Whatever she wants her child to drink needs to be in a thermos with an ice pack if needed to maintain temp.


I would state my program rules and let the parents figure it out.

Parent: "Will you heat up Johnny's lunch really quick today?"

You: "No, I do not offer that service."

Parent: "Can Billy have whole milk for lunch and will you keep it in your fridge?"

You: "No, I do not off that option."

Parent: "Can Sally have the sandwich I sent but will you cut it precisely on the diagonal for her? But no more than 3 degrees off center or she will have a fit."

You: "No, I do not offer that service."

Rinse and repeat.

They'll figure it out.

[CityGarden]

Thanks so much for the input and insights!!!

I you don't want to warm it up, say no. If you don't mind, then go for it. Think about how it would change your lunch routine if you did or didn't.

The only thing we ask parents to provide is milk. We provide all lunch and snacks. Parents go on a rotation with us to bring milk. One parent will bring it (on Tuesday) then another parent the next Tuesday, then us the following, then another parent the following Tuesday and so on. Once everyone has brought it their week, it starts over. I don't really know how/why we started this, but it works great. If a child is on whole milk or almond milk the parent ONLY provides milk for their child and it is usually 1-2 times a month.

This was really great advice (that I put in bold) and I have been taking it this week - really looking at how my meal prep routine is and how it would change..... sometimes you do things on auto without thinking of the steps thanks for making me pause for this. I realized I don't even really check there lunches until right before I serve them if we are at the house and I do not check them at all if we are going to the park. I would have to check each one in advance to see what needed to be heated then potentially plate them since most of my children have bento style lunch boxes where portions would likely not be warmed and portions would, etc. which also means more dishes to wash, etc.

The microwave thing, I suppose if you wanted to you could always send out a reminder of what days are park days and ask parents not send meals that need to be heated that day. But that does limit being able to come"just go" when you want. It would also depend on how many kids. My group is small, heating food would be easy. But let's say you have 6 and all kids need it heated. That gets annoying and time consuming. Eh I don't know, if I didn't have a microwave, I would probably just say no.

As for milk, I'd either opt for providing the organic whole milk or suggesting she give him milk at dinner and with a snack at home instead. Mostly because I don't do well at remembering who needs what when, or want parents going through my fridge . I provide everything to keep it simple, so simple to me would either being providing it myself or not offering it at all.

We go to the park everyday (unless it is pouring rain, which is very rare in my area). I do like the flexibility. If I provide milk it does seem easiest for me to just provide it and serve it to all the children in my care or to have him bring a thermos daily - not sure which path I will choose on that just yet.

All the children keep water bottles here that we take to the park and right now I serve water in cups at AM snack and lunch but that is because my family & I do not drink milk and my first enrolled child did not either. I am thinking about changing that to perhaps include milk, but that is another thread....

I would remind mom that your group often picnics in the park and you have no way to warm meals there. That you prefer a cold packed lunch or a thermos if a meal needs served warm.
As for the milk, I would allow milk in same thermos type container brought daily or the water you provide to all.

This is exactly what I did in the moment with regard to the heated lunches but I did seem to waiver on the milk thing as I was caught off guard and I said it would be okay for them to store him milk her and me serve it but I am not okay with that ---- either he needs milk in a thermos type container brought daily or I will provide milk to all children which I have not yet decided if I will do.

I wouldn't accomodate it. I would give resources on keeping packed lunches warm (thermos brand items are wonderful for this!) My kids pack lunches to school and they never have issues with warm foods being warm (eg soups, stews, pasta dishes) I put them warm in the thermos and they stay warm until lunch. Same for cold foods.

If you start reheating, are you going to have to switch containers to warm things up? How long will that take, if say ALL of your kids had things to warm up one day?

Same with milk- I send my kids with horizon organic milks in their lunches to school, they don't need refrigeration.

All very good point that I had not considered. Thanks I may pass on the milk box idea to mom as well if I have them bring in their own.

Another thing to think about is that not everything can be reheated in the microwave, some things needs the oven or the stove top or some other thing. In my experience when you give an inch, the parents expect the mile and if you agree to reheat you will end up with instructions like this : "Little Billy needs his tortilla lightly toasted in a frying pan and his chicken lightly grilled in the broiler and then the cheese melted on top in the microwave."
Just something to consider...

This made me almost choke from laughter ::::::::

So true, good point I had not even thought of that!

[CityGarden]

Would you heat lunches brought from home?

No.

Got Milk?

Whatever she wants her child to drink needs to be in a thermos with an ice pack if needed to maintain temp.


I would state my program rules and let the parents figure it out.

Parent: "Will you heat up Johnny's lunch really quick today?"

You: "No, I do not offer that service."

Parent: "Can Billy have whole milk for lunch and will you keep it in your fridge?"

You: "No, I do not off that option."

Parent: "Can Sally have the sandwich I sent but will you cut it precisely on the diagonal for her? But no more than 3 degrees off center or she will have a fit."

You: "No, I do not offer that service."

Rinse and repeat.

They'll figure it out.

BC I printed this and have it on my desk!!! Rise and repeat, rinse and repeat..... lovethis

Sometimes I question myself as a new provider (who is still learning) but sometimes parents just ask too much.