Hotdogs- do you ever serve them!?

[DaycareLady]

Okay, so I am feeling really guilty about todays lunch!! We don't ever eat hotdogs as a family (or pork for that matter) and I have never served them in my daycare before...but I saw that they now have chicken all natural hotdogs out so I thought I would give them a try. I feel so awful serving that to the kids though, even though I know 1/2 of them get hotdogs multiple times a week at home! The parents don't even read my menu or ask what they have eaten all day...I even write everyday on my white board what we had and none of them read it!
Does/has anyone served hotdogs before? I don't know why I am beating myself up so bad about it but I know it wasn't the most healthy choice :(

[sunnydays]

Don't beat yourself up if it is a rare event! I have never served hot dogs, but have served tofu hot dogs with whole wheat buns...the kids all loved them! I think anyway as long as it isn't a regular thing, it's fine!

[treeholm]

I have never served hotdogs, but I'll make a confession... I'm a health food nut with a secret weakness for the occasional junk food, and I love hotdogs! My daycare parents would be shocked if they knew this, so shhh....

[jodaycare]

We had all beef hot dogs and cheddar cheese wrapped in Pilsbury Crescent rolls for lunch today. I don't feel guilty at all! I have tried homemade food with this group and it ALL ends up in the garbage. They won't eat veggies (raw or cooked) so i feed them what I know they will eat. I am done wasting time and money.

[Artsand crafts]

I once in a while serve hotdogs, grilled cheese, ham and cheese sandwich, etc. When I do so I use the all natural ham or sausage, whole wheat or whole grains breads, and served with a veggie soup or some raw veggies. Some of my parents read my menu and others do not. I personally believe that extremes aren't good. I serve super healthy food at my house, but kids should know that other foods are not forbidden (your know, forbidden later starts to become more desirable). I never serve sweets at home during the day, but my son always asks for cake or ice cream when in restaurants. He knows there is nothing wrong with having those foods too once in a while.

[torontokids]

Yeah my dck are all picky. My 3 yo is now becoming picky (not sure if it is the dck's influence or just now that she is three). I haven't served hotdogs though but we did have grilled cheese today with fruit and veggies. My one dck wouldn't even eat grilled cheese! I am surprised his organ still pump as this kid lives on fruit and carbs and very little of them.

[playfelt]

I use the Maple Leaf Top Dogs original because that is what I like - do not like the all beef ones. The favourite for my gang is having them wrapped in biscuit dough. I make the tea buscuit dough byself and add wheat germ and bran to it along with the white flour - hate whole wheat flour too cause it makes stuff so heavy so use white flour and add the bran and wheat germ back in for a much lighter more flavourful texture or at least I think so.

Maple Leaf makes an all natural hotdog according to the commercials on tv and sure some other companies probably do too. My daycare families are all ok with hotdogs so just buy the regular cause they are cheaper but for those more concerned you could try the natural ones.

[Sandbox Sally]

I don't serve hot dogs. I'm not going to get all sanctimonious about anyone who does, though. I try very hard to serve up only healthy meals. It's my schtick. lol

[mimi]

I agree with Sandbox Sally. I love junk food!!!...but I don't eat it often, don't have it in the house because I will be tempted (I love salty stuff) so if it isn't here I can't/won't serve it to my dckids.

[monkeymama]

I served organic turkey dogs last week for the first time and felt guilty also! the kids loved them tho

[Crayola kiddies]

yes I serve hot dogs ....all the kids do a little dance when I say its hot dogs for lunch ....half the time I wrap them in cresent rolls to make pigs in a blanket.....I don't feed wieners to the under 18month olds....I buy the all beef ones cause that's what I like best....however I rarely eat a hot dog. I serve mostly healthy foods but hotdogs are a little treat now and again. I don't feel bad cause they eat this stuff at home all the time.

[DaycareLady]

thanks ladies!! Love the replies!! I serve grilled cheese a lot too :S lol I didn't think it was that bad but the hotdogs just made me feel so guilty...I don't even want to write it on my menu board haha

[apples and bananas]

I haven't served hot dogs. I like to think that I serve healthy alternatives and home make 99 % of what I serve. I would love to serve hot dogs, but I haven't really even thought about a healthy alternative.

I do serve grilled cheese. Nothing wrong with a grilled cheese using minimal butter, real cheese (not processes) and wholwheat bread. Add some cold veggies on the side and that's a well balanced meal that everyone's going to eat.

[2cuteboys]

I get the guilty feelings, the dcks aren't going to go home and tell mom and dad "we had organic turkey hot dogs and whole wheat buns with lots of fruit and veggies for lunch," they're going to say "we had hot dogs today" lol.

Like the others said, if it really is healthy (or a healthier version) and you can back it up to a parent if they ask, and it's an occasional thing, I don't think it's a big deal. If your families are anything like mine, I know they get it at home anyway.

[gramma]

dont stress over it. every now and then we have a less than healthy lunch here too. Sometimes i'm too tired or I havent prepared for the week or may have run out cause its the end of the week. In any case even with a less than healthy item I balance it with healthy veggies or fruit and milk. I wouldnt beat yourself up about it. tomorrow is another day.

[Momof4]

We have a coyboy and campfire theme once a year so I serve hot dogs one day that week. Also, if you cut the hot dogs into about 5 pieces and stick about 5-6 1/2 sticks of spaghetti through them then boil them they look like insects, but I made them one time when my theme was Robots so I told the kids they were robot parts. Every once in a while they dckids would request robot parts and I've had more than one parent ask me about that. :laugh: It is possible to find organic, all natural, good hot dogs! Those are the kind I serve.

[Momof4]

Oh yes, grilled chees sandwiches are definitely one of my quickie go-to lunches. Today we got back late from our outing to the library and I took 2 tortillas, spread a bit of spaghetti sauce on each side and used mozarella cheese and made pizza quesadillas really quickly. They were a big hit with pepper strips on he side. This is why I don't have a menu any more though, because I want the freedom to make these quickie lunches when it's necessary. As long as you provide great variety and all the food groups, don't worry.

[Skysue]

I have never served hot dogs but do serve ham from time to time. I secretly love eating them too. As a family we might eat hot dogs say 4 times a year.

Bulony and cheese whiz have never ever entered my house. Yet I was brought up on the stuff. Cheese Whiz on celery yum yum! LoL

Ladies there are so many people starving in this world and we are beating our selves up for allowing our kids some variety. How blessed are we!

[Crayola kiddies]

Well I don't think I need to "back" anything up to my parents.... They all trust that their children are well fed and well cared for... And if I give them them a hot dog once a month ... Who cares ??? Really !!!! Summer is coming and therefore BBQ season and hotdogs and hamburgers are the main stay .... I love bbq'd hot dogs and not embarrassed to say it. I'm not sure why people need to secretly say they like hot dogs. I wouldn't eat them everyday but I do think that most parents give their kids hot dogs so why would it make a difference if they ate them at daycare ?

[Skysue]

My favourite is wieners and beans, great comfort food!

[mimi]

Grilled cheese can be healthy. I make mine on whole grain bread, low fat cheese and I fry with coconut oil.

[momofnerds]

I serve hot dogs, and chicken nuggets. they are my quick meals and I don't find anything wrong. Heck I have kids who go home and eat chicken nuggets every single day. I don't serve sandwiches, but I know alot of providers do.

[Other Mummy]

I have served pizza and nuggets for lunch on occasion. My dck's eat healthy over here 4/5 days in the week. On Fridays I serve Pizza. Every Friday. Believe me...if it wasn't for the healthy meals the kids eat here....they would be eating processed foods at every meal. The kids are not shy about telling me what they eat at home. So when I serve an "unhealthy" meal once in a while, I'm not going to stress and guilt myself. LOL :)

[momofnerds]

I'm so shocked at what some of these kids eat, figures they are all picky eaters. Nuggets seem to be the most common among all of them. I don't know how some eat it every single day. Blah!

[sunnydays]

I'm so shocked at what some of these kids eat, figures they are all picky eaters. Nuggets seem to be the most common among all of them. I don't know how some eat it every single day. Blah!

I am no longer shocked, but I am disgusted! I have a dcg who eats Captain Crunch cereal for breakfast...she hasn't told me what she eats for dinner...but I can guess..LOL. It took months for me to get her to eat a few vegetables and some fruits...her parents say they can't get her to eat any. I've never understood this. If you only serve healthy food, they will eat it. If you serve junk, of course they will go for that first and will not agree to eating veggies.

[SongSparrow]

I have to laugh when I get those comments too.....I give out a list of our usual snacks and meals when I sign on a new family and have lost count of the times I've heard "if you can get him/her to eat this stuff that would be great" and go on about how they won't eat any healthy food at home. Ummm, does your kid do the grocery shopping or what? And drives me crazy when parents eat great food for supper themselves and make a separate junky supper for their kids!

[SongSparrow]

And yes, I have given hot dogs with lunch....probably 2 or 3 times a year on average

[Momof4]

I know the children are getting 100% of their nutrition for the day in my daycare as well. A few of my dcfamilies are fast food eaters and a few eat organically, home cooked food the same as I serve. One of the fast food Moms actually said to me a couple of weeks ago that she is glad she doesn't have to worry about nutrition at night because she knows her child eats so well here. :ohmy:

[Judy Trickett]

I can honestly say I have never served hot dogs in my daycare. I don't serve any processed foods to dckids. None.

[DaycareLady]

Would love to see our menu/get some ideas for different lunches! How do you do it Judy?!

[daycarewhisperer]

No I hate hot dogs. I don't want my kids eating junk.

[sunnydays]

I was about to say I don't serve processed foods either...but I guess, technically, tofu hot dogs are processed and I do serve those once in awhile. Other than that, I can't think of anything other than whole grain crackers that I would say is processed. I also don't serve anything containing ground beef...I hardly ever served it before and then one day I thought I would buy some...happened to be the batch that was recalled at Costco for EColi. Thank God we didn't eat any of it! After that, I decided never to buy it again. I now use tofu in my spaghettie sauces...it is really good and all the kids love it :)

[dodge__driver11]

Guys, if we serve hot dogs as a treat it does not mean we feed them junk...Just sayin' (I serve hot dogs at least two times in summer they love them bbq'ed...)

And I don't feel the least bit bad for doing so.

[Momof4]

I serve bacon and breakfast sausage once in a while for breakfast, packaged bread products, ham and I keep fish sticks in the freezer to make up with my homemade wedge fries once in a while. Hey, cheese is prepackaged too, but I never serve plastic cheese (that's what I call the cheese in the slices) but it's pretty difficult to always serve home cooked, super nutritious food. Sometimes we stay outside too long and I need a meal on the table STAT!

Most of my food is cooked from scratch but I don't take the time to make my own bread. So, even though I serve a lot of organically grown products at my daycare I'm not perfect, I'm just doing my very best. You know what? That's all I ask of the children every day. DO YOUR VERY BEST!

[bright sparks]

I also do not serve any processed food. I'd bet if you took a look at all of the alternative hotdogs they are just another variation of bad dressed up to appear healthier.

I make my food from scratch and in advance and freeze them in foil trays. There are a few exceptions for example crock pot meals on the menu go in as soon as I get up and are ready for when we come indoors from playing in the morning. Soup I let cool then place in ziploc bags and freeze. It can either go in a pan on low and slowly defrost and reheat, or into the crockpot.

I have never served any kind of hotdog or store bought chicken nugget. I will make my own chicken tenders by cutting of the fillet from the breast and simply coating in a mix of w.w breadcrumbs and wheatgerm(SUPERFOOD) I don't even bother with milk or egg as I only want it lightly coated for them. As for sandwiches, my crew won't eat them lol I think I have spoilt them so now if we go out for a picnic I pack something like a quiche and then veggies and fruit.

[briar_rose]

I have never served hot dogs to by daycare kids and my own daughter has only had them once. We do have processed food once in awhile but hot dogs are one of the worst foods for you.

[Skysue]

http://natural-health-center.blogspot.ca/2008/07/dangers-of-tofu.html

http://www.healthiertalk.co m/why-tofu-wrecks-your-brain-0246

Hotdogs are not very good for us due to the nitrates but we can buy nitrate free ones as a treat once in a while. Due to high nitrate content hotdogs can cause pediatric cancer. As Mothers we must educate our selves and make safe choices for our kids.
http://www.preventcancer.co m/consumers/food/hotdogs.htm

With that said the 1st two links are about the dangers of tofu, terrible for you. I would never serve it to my DD or daycare children.