4 Weeks of Healthy Meal Ideas for Daycare Providers

Feb 20

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If you are running a childcare center or starting a daycare, you know how challenging it is to plan easy, healthy meals that meet your state’s requirements.

It’s also essential to ensure your menu complies with the nutritional standards for CACFP if your program is participating in a food program while ensuring that the meals are easy to prepare.

Before we get started , If you're new here, My name is Dena, and I have been a center director for 21 years and love what I do, but it is WORK! My goal is to help other providers with their child care programs and help relieve the stress that the daycare world brings.

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Here are some tips for planning easy, healthy, and delicious meals for your childcare center or daycare.

Research Your State’s Guidelines.
Before planning any meals, it is vital to first research the nutrition guidelines in your state. Every state has different regulations for the types of food served, portion sizes, and other nutritional requirements for daycare providers.
Make sure that you are aware of these regulations to ensure you are serving meals that meet your state’s requirements.
Consider Allergies.
When planning menus, be mindful of any allergies among your students or staff members. Eliminating certain foods from the menu can help reduce potential allergic reactions and make everyone feel safer when enjoying mealtime at the daycare facility.
It also ensures everyone gets a balanced meal without leaving out any particular dietary needs or preferences. Click here to be taken to my child allergy forms.
Use Variety
It is important to have variety when creating menus for children so they don’t get bored with their meal choices daily! Incorporating seasonal ingredients into weekly menus can help keep things fresh and exciting while providing nutrition benefits!
Consider offering various fruits and vegetables as side dishes or adding grains like quinoa or wild rice into dishes to increase nutrient content!
Get Creative with Recipes
It is always fun to get creative with recipes when planning menu items! You can find many easy recipes online that require minimal ingredients but offer maximum flavor!
Consider trying simple combinations like roasted sweet potatoes topped with a sprinkle of herbs or grilled chicken served over sautéed kale - both tasty options packed with nutrients! Experimenting with new flavors will make mealtime more enjoyable for everyone involved!
And I know what you’re thinking…my kids won’t eat kale. But if you start early and teach them how to eat healthy foods, like kale, they will!
To give you an idea of what a nutritious week of meals looks like at a daycare center, here are 4 weeks’ worth of childcare menu examples detailing breakfast, lunch, and snacks for Monday through Friday each week:
Week 1 Menu:
Monday:
Breakfast – Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Whole Grain Cereal, Pineapple Tidbits
Lunch – Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Chicken Nuggets, Sweet Peas, Pineapple Tidbits, Whole Grain Roll
Snack – 100% White Grape Juice, Carrot Sticks & Ranch
Tuesday:
Breakfast – Milk 1% ages 2 & older, French Toast, Mandarin Oranges
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Cheesy Ravioli, Green Beans, Mandarin Oranges, Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Grape Juice & Cheese Crackers
Wednesday:
Breakfast- Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Waffles & Turkey Bacon, Sliced Apples
Lunch- Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Pasta Alfredo With Meatballs, Mixed Veggies, Sliced Apples, Whole Grain Roll
Snack- 100% White Grape Juice & Pretzels
Thursday:
Breakfast – Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Raisin Toast, Peaches
Lunch- MEAT ALTERNATE, Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Cheesy Pizza, Black Beans
Peaches, Whole Grain Roll
Snack- 100% White Grape Juice, Chips & Mild Salsa
Friday:
Breakfast – Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Oatmeal, Sliced Pears
Lunch– Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Beef Burgers, Baked Beans, Sliced Pears, Whole Grain Bun
Snack- 100% White Grape Juice, Cream Cheese Wafers
Week 2 Menu:
Monday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Whole Grain Cereal, Banana
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Chicken Tacos on Whole Grain Tortillas, Sweet Buttered Corn, Banana
Snack - Apple slices & String cheese
Tuesday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Wheat Bagel, Applesauce
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Spaghetti (Turkey), Sweet Peas, Applesauce
Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Homemade Trail Mix
Wednesday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Sausage Biscuit, Diced Peaches
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Chicken & Rice, Green Beans, Diced Peaches
Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Graham Crackers
Thursday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Wheat Pancakes, Pineapple Tidbits
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Beef Stew & Rice, Steamed Carrots, Pineapple Tidbits, Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice, Chips & Dip
Friday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Eggs-N-Toast, Sliced Apples
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Chicken Sandwich, Green Salad, Corn, Sliced Apples, Whole Grain Bun
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Rice Krispy Treat
Week 3 Menu:
Monday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Whole Grain Cereal, Tropical Fruit
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Soft Beef Tacos on Whole Grain Tortillas, String Beans, Tropical Fruit
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Graham Crackers
Tuesday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, French Toast, Diced Peaches
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Turkey Sandwich, Whole Grain Bread, Mixed Veggies, Diced Peaches
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice, Fresh Apples & String Cheese
Wednesday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Raisin Bread, Apples
Lunch- Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Barbecue Chicken, Baked Beans
Red sugar-free Jello w/Pineapples, Whole Grain Roll
Snack- 100% White Apple Juice, Chips & Salsa
Thursday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Banana Muffin, Mandarin Oranges
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Fish Sticks, Sweet Potato Sticks, Whole Grain Bread & Butter, Mandarin Oranges
Snack- 100% White Apple Juice, Carrots & Homemade Hummus
Friday :
Breakfast– Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Whole Wheat Pancakes, Applesauce
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Chicken Nuggets, Mashed Potatoes, Applesauce
Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Animal Crackers
Week 4 Menu:
Monday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Whole Grain Cereal, Mixed Berries
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread,
Steamed Broccoli, Mixed Berries
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice, Cheese & Crackers
Tuesday :
Breakfast -Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Scrambled Eggs & Toast, Sliced Peaches
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Spaghetti/Turkey, Green Beans, Sliced Peaches
Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Granola Bars
Wednesday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Whole Grain Waffles, Sliced Pears
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Meatballs/Gravy, Mac & Cheese, Sliced Pears
Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice & Goldfish
Thursday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Blueberry Muffin, Applesauce
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Cheese & Veggie Lasagna, Mixed Veggies
Whole Grain Garlic Bread, Applesauce
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice, Apples & Cheese
Friday :
Breakfast - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Oatmeal, Banana
Lunch - Milk 1% ages 2 & older, Chicken & Rice, Peas & Carrots, Half Banana
Whole Grain Roll
Snack - 100% White Apple Juice, Carrots & Ranch

Remember, daycare meal ideas should be easy and practical. Make sure your daycare menu includes dishes that are easy to prepare in large batches so you can feed multiple children at once. Using recipes with few ingredients and minimal prep time is also a good idea.
And did you notice that all breakfasts and lunches have the same fruit? Yes, this is on purpose. Using the same fruit makes preparation easier and ensures that no fruit goes to waste while avoiding unnecessary storage. This especially comes in handy with larger centers.
And trust me, the kid’s don’t care that they have the same fruit for breakfast and lunch.
Would you love to have these menu templates ready to download and print? Click here to grab these ready to print menus!

Conclusion:

Creating daycare meals doesn’t have to be overwhelming! With the right menu ideas, tips, and resources, you can provide delicious, nutritious meals that your daycare children will love.

Happy cooking! :-)