Quite a long time ago I was chided by someone for feeding soy to daycare children without getting advance and even written permission from parents. I don't remember who said it or in what context. This week on one of my daycare groups someoen mentioned using textured vegetable protien in meals for the daycare children and that it is reimbursable on the USDA food program. So what do most people think about soy? It seems to be everywhere and in so many things. The lady on the list said she saves quite a bit of money.
One of my adult daughters has gone all the way vegan and my husband has gotten more and more to the point of not wanting meat. I'd just like to get opinions on eating a lot of soy and should I get permission from my moms?
Sunshine- Just to comment about saving money on the cost of food.. I spend well over 40 and nearly 50% of every dime that walks in my house on food ALONE. Another 20% of what I make goes to utilities. There is VERY LITTLE left over. I have not raised my rates in 6 years because the area I live in has a large amount of factory workers that have been laid off and they provide care at reduced prices, often doing it under the table and drawing unemployment at the same time. I've done very well to stay mostly full, and am now FULL in this economy. Every year my utilities go up as does everyone else and the milk, break, and fruit alone is breaking the bank. So like any other family I will look to save money any place that I can if it's safe. I don't want to have to avoid a very healthy food if the reason it's being bashed is because the meat industry is buying scientists to do faulty research. That's why I'm asking these questions.
I always ask about allergies. But if course, since I often start them from infants I'm usually around when WE figure out they are allergic to something. I have had only a couple of children allergic to soy through the years. We've had soy chocolate before and I know all my kids now are not allergic to soy. I just never considered making it a regular staple item. I have been looking up articles today on both sides and there are some compelling arguments against all the nay sayers and some that even explain that the isoflavons in soy are not even related to a hormone in any way. Seems like good foods get a bad rap a lot of the time and every single other food we feed the kids is and could be an allergy food. In fact, parents don't always remember. I had a little girl throw up a few weeks ago and it turns out dad gave her strawberries. I reminded mom that she is allergic to strawberries (per her parents) and she totally forgot that they had figured that out. THANKS dad for bringing her just after eating them LOL.
I would mention it. You'll never know who has an allergy to it until it is too late unless you let parents know ahead of time.
YES get permission. I would be PISSED to find out someone fed my young son tofu or other soy stuff w/o my permission. I would likely find a new daycare. The USDA is subsidizing this? Geez. They want us all to be vegetarians! Even sesame street encourages the eating of tofu! (Stopped watching that show a long time ago).
If you can't tell - I do NOT want my child eating soy. A couple bites of tofu in his hot and sour soup once a month is no problem for me, but not as a substantial part of his meal once a week.
There is controversy over whether soy affects our hormones, esp in males. But I am reminded of an article that said that one bottle of soy-based formula was equivalent (b/c of baby's size) to like 5 birth control pills - the hormones inside! Not for my son, no thank you.
@Christy - well written. Be full of knowledge and explain to the parents your reasons and research. But be ready for a few to be like me and say no. Granted, I would be pleased you let me know and I would just pack my son his own lunch on those days if you gave a calendar showing what days you plan to serve soy products.
I love soy products as do my kids (milk, meatless meat balls, chick'n and bbq skewers, etc). If my husband doesn't know it is soy meat, he even likes it - Ha!
As a courtesy though, I would mention to your families that this is a change you will be implementing. BUT provide a schedule of what days you will be using the soy products, in what capacity and provide articles and information on the benefit of soy to diet, protien intake and long-term health.
Also have a very well written/documented reason for why you want to make these changes for the health and benefit of their children.
Then invite the parents to provide any thougts or feedback. If they are irate, then you may need to discuss next steps.
You never know how a group of people will respond, but if you come from a place of information, knowledge and best interest of children in mind, the parents should support you!
Goodluck!
Soy makes my throat feel like it is closing up . . . very scary.
Besides the issue of it possibly having estrogen-like properties (?), I would want to warn parents from an allergy standpoint.
I'm starting to wonder if our govt wants all our boys to be girls.
My daughter, who has all the allergies, is allergic to soy. I try to keep it out of the house, along with rice.
Please make sure all your families know what is in your foods and get a good updatd allergy list every year as they do change.
I could not let my daughter alone with someone who would just out of the blue try her on something she'd never had.
Well, I would hope you would be letting the parents know what your are feeding their children. I guess I would also hope the parents are asking and wanting to know. So glad I don't have to send my kids to daycare and worry about this stuff.
I would want to know and would not ok soy products for our daughter. There has been some concern about soy estrogen causing early adolescence (early periods, breast development, etc.) in girls.
My body has been very damaged by soy and I would never approve it to be fed to my child.
Your daycare fee should include meals for the kids. Just curious as to why you would have to work to save money for an expense that should already be covered.
I would want to know, I would get written permission from the parents. I think it is a great idea though. I wish my husband would eat it, I love it. My mom is vegetarian so I grew up on tofu and soy products.
Love it, im quite healthy and have been on it since i was 12, I feed it to my kids and they are without ailments as well.
It might just be because we dont eat meat, drink a lot of water and eat our fruits and veggies raw everyday.
This is the same as feeding kids with gluten free products. ONLY PEOPLE (CHILDREN AND ADULTS) WHO NEED TO BE FED BECAUSE HEALTH ISSUES SHOULD TAKE CERTAIN PRODUCTS LIKE SOY, GLUTEN FREE FOOD, ETC. Children should be fed from all the groups in the pyramid, in healthy portions and in a balanced way, unless they have problems like diabetes, celiac disease, etc, etc.
For example people with hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism should not eat soy if they are taking medicine for this since soy will have effects on the medicine.
