So my daughter will be starting, they only gave us must brinmg items that were cleaning supplies for the 1st day, I emailed and they said all else is provided. The thing I'm concerned with is she's going to be in before care and after care so she'll be in school from 7amish to 5pmish, so I need to pack, possibly breakfast if she doesn;t eat at home, then a snack for K, then Lunch, then a snack for after care. That seems like so much food packing, I feel like she should have a protable mini fridge instead of a school bag! Anyone else have this issue? What are some good small, easy, and not so expensive snacks and lunches.
I'm planning
Breakfast
Yogurts
Fruit
Dried cereal
muffins
snacks(how can the snacks be kept cold?) are snacks just crackers and such?
Lunch
Veggies and dip
Yogurts
cheeses
cubed or rolled meat
sandwiches
salads
Any other ideas? oh and that was ideas for more than one meal not all of that at once=)
UPDATED:: OH NO the school emailed me back when I asked if not even a folder was needed and said No its supplied but they NEED 2 snacks every day, one in the am, one in the pm, and lunch, b/c its full day K, so I'm back to needing a mini fridge lol
No after care and K doesn't provide anything, she'll be in public K, I can have her buy lunches, but I looked at last years menu and it seems to be all fried foods and pizza
The K memo says to bring a snack and then also the before and after care is run out of the public elementery school, for all of the kids in k-8, so its not like a daycare like she had before with Pre-K
Yay I looked they DO provide and after care snack at 3pm!, she will probably eat breakfast there because she hates eating in the am. Or I guess she'll make up for it and eat a big lunch
We had my stepdaughter eat breakfast before before-care, packed her lunch and snack, and they gave her a snack in aftercare around 3PM. If you have to pack her more food, consider breakfast bars or baggies of cereal she can eat dry.
breakfast bars, fruit (apples, pears, grapes) or little containers of applesauce or diced fruit. crackers, pretzels, cheese sticks / cubes. if you put an ice pack in she should be fine
forgot this trick lol we used to freeze a juice box and then by the time afterschool rolled around it was thawed. it kept her other stuff cold till lunch time then she drank it afterschool
does the after school care provide a snack for the kids?
Totally understand!!! This is what we are doing and its working so far....
fresh cut up fruit, veggies, container of dip, yogurt, jello, snack wrap roll ups (tortilla with veggies,meat, cream cheese-sliced in thirds) pb and j sandwiches, granola bars, breakfast bars, waffles, toast etc. Wrap everything individually for the first few days and store in your fridge. The night before, pack her lunch and have a snack bag and lunch bag. Put a water bottle and whatever she drinks in her backpack. I know its alot, but better to have too much than too little for them to eat. GL
M
When my kids were in before and after care they provided a snack after school. I packed a small snack and lunch unless they wanted to buy that day.
Even if you add breakfast, which you wouldn't pack because she would eat it as soon as she gets there, that really isn't a lot of food.
I would first check with after school care and make sure they won't be providing a snack.
Put an ice pack in her bag for things like meat and cheese and yogurt. Veggies will be fine all day. Salads are tough for a young child - J. use cut up peppers & carrots and broccoli florets (whatever she likes) and a container of hummus for dipping. It will be okay during the day. If she'll eat hardboiled eggs, those are good sources of protein.
To save money, invest in a set of small re-usable containers - like Rubbermaid (better) or Ziploc (decent). Use a sharpie marker to write her name on all the pieces. I also mark the lids and bottoms as needed (all one size are "A", the next size is "B") so matching up is easier.
At the beginning of the week, you can pre-sort into containers the following foods: healthy cereal, blueberries, applesauce, canned fruit (packed in juice, not syrup), carrots, yogurt, cheese cubes. When it's time to pack the lunch, grab a few things - one of each category, and throw them in the lunch box. Put in a plastic spoon or a spoon you can put her name on, and 2 napkins. You can make a bunch of sandwiches ahead of time (PB&J, turkey) and then wrap them and freeze them. J. pop out the one you want and it will defrost and stay cold between 7 AM and lunch time.
It's a little more work on Sunday night, but it makes the morning smooth and organized!!
Check with the before & after daycare staff. They probably provide snacks - at least in the afternoon, but maybe even morning too. I know ours did. She should eat breakfast BEFORE she leaves the house. At ours, kids were NOT allowed to bring food in with them in the morning. It wasn't fair to eat in front of other kids. You had to finish it before checking in. You shouldn't need to pack snacks if daycare provides them. That would J. leave lunch. You could pack it, or maybe she could buy the school lunch? And, if you think she'll be hungry before dinner, show up at 5ish with a small snack for the ride home - a piece of fruit or string cheese or a few crackers - J. to hold her over. I think you're overthinking it.... or the daycare is letting you down. Good luck!
Remember... that a child will not eat all of that. Even if you pack it.
Have her eat at home, breakfast. Then that is less things you have to pack.
Pack things you do not have to keep cold or hot. That is less bulky.
Quantities... are typically in small snack sized, Ziplock bags. Or Sandwich bags.
Is she not eating lunch AT school? If so you don't need to pack a lunch.
That is only 1 meal out of the day. It won't harm her to eat a school lunch. And that is less things you have to pack.
To keep things cold, use an insulated lunch bag, then put a "blue-ice" ice pack in it. It will last.
ALSO, pack a water bottle. ALL the kids at my kids' school, do that.
The child will also be bringing home their own school homework. My son in Kindergarten does. So that is more things, they have to put into their backpack. THEN, can the child even carry it.... and ALL of that stuff in her bag, herself????
Per your "breakfast" menu:
That is a lot of stuff. I would pare it down.
One item.
My kids who are 5 and 8, don't even eat that much for breakfast.
Will your child, ACTUALLY eat all of that??? If she has leftovers... then what? Will you allow her to throw it away, or bring it back home again?
Per your lunch menu:
My kids would not eat all of that.
They would J. eat, a sandwich.
And then they are full.
For "snacks":
My kids school, per nutritional requirements of the school and education system... has to be NO NUTS, No peanut based items, and NO junk food or candy. It has to be within 100 calorie type snacks and healthy stuff.
J. pack, ONLY what your child WILL eat. Do not over pack.
I have volunteered at my kids school and have seen for myself, that MANY MANY kids, do not eat, what is in their bags. Then all that food goes to waste.
I took my kids to day care and packed their breakfast. they did not provide breakfast .. and they ate too slow at home.. so I packed and immedately when they got to day care.. they sat down at the table and ate.. juice box or milk carton.. and either one slice of toast and a small fruit.. or a waffle and fruit or very rarely we would go to burger king and get french toast sticks.
that is breakfast.. a grain a fruit and a juice or milk.
lunch was a pbj or a hot dog cut up or a lunchable a fruit and a cookie.
get the small shelf stable packs of fruit... fruit cocktail or applesauce.. raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in a small tupperware pack well.
a lunch box with a cold pack is fine.. she will eat breakfast immedately.. lunch is in 5 hours...snacks should be shelf stable granola bars, goldfish.
We've been buying Gogurt, putting it in the freezer and using it as an ice pack in his lunch. It thaws out by lunchtime. J. another suggestion!
If insulated lunch bag is too small then send her w/a small ice chest.
Then buy those smiley face ice packs. Keep in freezer until you put in her
lunch. Put several in there. My hubby does this.
Breakfast:
breakfast bars
dry cereal like cheerios
snacks:
pudding/jello
mall chip or cracker packs
cookies those prepackaged mini bags
mini carrots
cheese sticks
tiny containers of cocktail fruit
Lunch:
tuna in tupperware (remember lots of those ice packs)
deli meat in tupperware to be put on crackers
crackers and cheese
pre cooked refried beans in tupperware, shred cheese in baggie, tortilla to be assembled into a burrito (if you pre-make it & send it w/her might
be gross altough my mom did this for M. as a kid, wrapped it in foil &
don't remember it being gross.
tiny tupperware container of peanut butter, another one of jelly & 2 slices
of bread to make her own pb&j
no no mini fridge. they have tuna salad and crackers that don't need refrigiration. apples don't neccesarily have to be refrigirated. I use cheese and crackers the ones that don't need to be refrigirated. I use jerky and cheese. Mine has sugar issues and these are things that don't need to be heated or refrigirated that I found. Mine can't have them but what about pudding cups , jello cups, fruit cups, hard boiled eggs. peanut butter. viennas. you also have fruit bars. cans of sardines, cans of oysters if she will eat them. raisins another thing mine can't have. hard boiled eggs. walk all of the isles at the store you will find alot. I did with suggestions of moms on here. Oatmeal also can be cooked with hot tap water.
