Planned Monthly Menu

[PitterPatter]

I was just looking at another thread but didn't want to be rude and steal it so I will just ask in a whole new thread.

How many of u here are required to have a monthly menu planned? Is it required by the licensing or the Food Program?

How many of u plan it and hand it out to the parents just because?

How many of u don't plan meals/menu in advance?

[SilverSabre25]

I don't plan much further ahead than a week. I post on our Facebook page each day what we ate and the parents seem to like that. I've never had one complain that I don't let them know the menu in advance.

[erinalexmom]

we have lunch at 11:30 and I think about it at 11am ::

[spud912]

I make a monthly menu and put it on my website. I do it more for myself to plan my dinners for the month. I think it saves a ton of planning time. Every Friday I make a list for the next week's groceries and I do one grocery shopping trip on Saturdays for the entire week. It's somewhat a pain at the beginning of the month to make a new menu, but it really helps us budget accordingly. I do not rotate menus because my family and I like a lot of variety.

[Cat Herder]

I typically plan a month ahead...although I currently have 12 months worth of menus planned.

I follow all the food program rules, but do not want to be on the food program.

My menu being a month in advance allows for supply purchase and prep in advance. I cook and freeze in bulk so that I don't have to cook during the work week. I have a large deep freezer, plus two regular refrigerator/freezers. I store food in tin catering dishes for easy reheating/serving with no extra dishes to wash.

I get to enjoy my breaks and at the end of the day I just close the daycare door and my family dinner is waiting as well.

I used to hate the hectic schedule of the school/work week...so I found a workable solution.

[AnneCordelia]

I plan as I go. I shop once a week and plan our meals around the sales that week.

I guess a more accurate answer would be: I plan on a weekly basis rather than daily or monthly.

[JaydensMommy]

I typically plan a month ahead...although I currently have 12 months worth of menus planned.

I follow all the food program rules, but do not want to be on the food program.

My menu being a month in advance allows for supply purchase and prep in advance. I cook and freeze in bulk so that I don't have to cook during the work week. I have a large deep freezer, plus two regular refrigerator/freezers.

I get to enjoy my breaks and at the end of the day I just close the daycare door and my family dinner is waiting as well.

I used to hate the hectic schedule of the school/work week...so I found a workable solution.

Wow, I wish I could be this organized. I try to plan atleast a week in advance but that doesn't happen sometimes.

[Christina72684]

I just joined the Food program for Indiana and if it wasn't for the fact that they reimburse us for 3 meals per child I wouldn't do it. It's very strict and after a week I don't like it! We have to follow our meals to the T, which honestly I didn't do this week. Like one day I planned spaghetti but then realized I didn't have any ground beef so I switched that day with the day I planned hot dogs. But I think once I start using Minute Menu I can't switch, which ****s, esp since I don't know what kids like and don't like until I have them and every day varies. The part that I HATE the worst is that we have to eat within the time we have on our schedule or else we don't get paid. Breakfast has to be done no later than 9am. Well this morning a boy came in and went to sleep because he had a long night. I had to wake him up at 8:50 in order for him to get breakfast in time and get paid for it. Some days we run late and forget about snack, but if I give it to them before 3:00 or after 3:30 then it can't count.

IMHO the only good thing about planning your menu weekly or monthly is that it gives you a grocery list, other than that I think if you want to switch Tuesday's AM snack with Thursday's PM snack then you should be able to.

[PitterPatter]

Thank u Blackcat!

[Cat Herder]

Wow, I wish I could be this organized.

It comes from years of both my DH and I having worked opposite 24/48 hours shifts.

It was a necessity if we ever wanted to have a "down" evening without being forced to fast food it...bleck...:: Plus it allowed us healthy stuff to eat on shift...

[Blackcat31]

Thank u Blackcat!

no problem!

I follow food program guidelines but only plan my menu a week in advance I then make a grocery list and shop accordingly. I do the same for my own house. I buy in bulk and make everything go as far as possible. I try to mix it up often but also account for the group of kids I have at the time. No sense buying a ton of beets if no one like them...kwim?

[littlemommy]

I meal plan every 2 weeks. I did it before I started doing daycare, because it helps me grocery shop and save money.

I am on the food program. I don't meal plan on there, I enter it daily. Normally I stay pretty close to the meal plan I have written out, unless meat doesn't thaw or I don't have a necessary ingredient. Then I swap days.

[WImom]

I shop every two weeks (except for veggies/fruits) so I plan every two weeks.

[squareone]

I plan a week in advance as is required by licensing and our food program. I usually deviate from the menu at least twice a week. This usually happens when A) hubby uses up an ingredient that I needed for one of my planned meals or B) I plan to use leftovers for lunch the next day and for one reason or another there aren't any leftovers left

All I have to do is let parents know of the change and then log in what I actually served rather than what was on the menu and I am still in compliance.

I only post the menu and plan in advance becasue I am required to. Otherwise I would probably just wing it every day

[MARSTELAC]

menu & pros/cons

I plan my menu a week ahead. I had been giving the menu out to the parents for the following week. Then I stopped and just posted the daily menu at the front door. Today I didn't and you would think it was the end of the world.

I stopped for this reason....last week a dcp had the dck so revved up about what was going to be served for lunch that we a a miserable morning complete with tears and more. I decided not to post menu. No need to get worked up over a meal.

I will still plan ahead....love to be organized and shop ahead but no more distribution of the menu. Why do dcp's make it so difficult?:confused: