Would anybody be interested in posting their meal plan on a weekly basis? I think it could be a good reference point for anybody looking for some new menu ideas!
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Would anybody be interested in posting their meal plan on a weekly basis? I think it could be a good reference point for anybody looking for some new menu ideas!
Morning snack:
toast with jam/ oatmeal/ graham crackers with cream cheese, grapes or berries or melon
Lunch
Monday: Grilled Cheese with apple slices and veggie sticks (carrots, celery, green pepper, cucmber) Yogurt for dessert
Tues: Chicken salad sandwiches or Quasillillas with grapes & veggie sticks ,apple sauce for dessert
Wed: Mac "n" Cheese with real cheadar and cream cheese served with steamed broccoli and apple slices/ yoghurt
Thurs: Ham & cheese (grilled sandwich or homade lunchables) with melon and veggie sticks
Friday: Frecnh toast or quiche with berries, pinapple, cucumber/ apple sauce
Afternoon snack:
crakers and cheese with grapes
granola with berries and yoghurt
maria biscuits with frozen yoghurt
rice crispys with watermelon
graham crackers with cream cheese and jam with pinapple
Chocolate chip cookies on Fridays with Milk and fruit
Am I the only brave one?
This is what I am planning for next week but of course things change.
Monday
Morning: Organic Yogurt, teddy grahams
Lunch: chicken, rice and corn
Afternoon: Apple slices and goldfish crackers
Tuesday
Morning: Organic Apple Sauce and honey graham square
Lunch: Leftover Chicken, rice and corn
Afternoon: Grapes quartered and animal crackers
Wednesday
Morning: Watermelon slices, Muffins
Lunch: Spaghetti, beef and veggies in sauce and cucumber slices
Afternoon: Banana slices and crackers with peanut butter
Thursday
Morning: organic yogurt and teddy grahams
Lunch: Chicken Noodle soup, crackers possibly fruit
Afternoon: Apple slices and crackers with cheese
Friday
Morning: Organic applesauce and Funshine crackers
Lunch: Lasagna probably depending if I have time Thurs night to cook it
afternoon: Cucumber slices with Oreo cookie
I dont have set days but my menu this week includes:
Breakfast:
Cereal, and banana, pancake and peaches, eggs, toast and watermelon, french toast and apple
Lunch:
Garlic sausage, perogies and peas
Tuna salad sandwiches, celery and noodles
Chicken nuggets, taters and corn
Pasta with meat sauce, garlic bread and carrots
Friday is the holiday so no fifth day planned
Snacks will include:
Yogurt, granola and strawberries, fish crackers and apple, cheesestring and apple, graham cracker, pb and banana, muffin and cantelope, animal crackers and orange, banana bread and peaches, pretzels and apple sauce,
Monday - tatertot & beef casserole
Tuesday - lasagna rollups
Wed - english muffin pizzas
Thurs - tuna melts & veggies with dip
Fri - Holiday (but usually mac&cheese, chef boyardee or sandwiches)
AM Snack: grapes, homemade baked good banana bread, oatmeal cookie, muffin or toast and jam, or dry cereal mix (cheerios, corn bran, life), milk - amount served varies by arrival time - ie how long since breakfast. Snack is served at 8:30.
Lunch: served 11:30 milk to drink
Mon: grilled cheese, deli meat, apple slices/strawberry sliced on top, cucumber
Tues: fish sticks, sweet potatoe fries/ketchup for dipping, mixed veggies, apple slices/strawberry sliced on top
Wed: hamburg, noodles, mixed veggies, cucumber, apple slices/strawberry sliced on top
Thurs: chicken warmed with sweet and sour sauce, mac n cheese, peas and corn, apple slices/strawberries
Fri would normally be pancakes, scrambled egg
(IF you finish your plate of food and you are still hungry you have a choice of apple sauce or yogurt and a cookie - usually the strawberry newton kind)
PM Snack: served 3:30 banana and cracker (graham cracker, arrowroot biscuit, digestive biscuit - they each have a choice), juice - as soon as nap is over and diapers changed we go to our outdoor picnic table and eat snack outside, when done they go to play.
Note: I often used frozen mixed veggies with the idea then everyone gets to pick out the kinds of veggies they like and leave behind the ones they don't so I don't have to remember who likes what. They are also ideal finger foods for the toddlers.
This is awesome... giving me some ideas. My tired old brain is having serious issues coming up with good meal plans, crafts, etc. Maybe it's preggo brain, I don't know!!
Next week:
Mon- applesauce and milk (AM), mac'n'cheese with hot dogs, veggie tray (lunch), crackers, cheese and juice (PM)
Tues- oranges and milk (AM), perogies, sausage (lunch), animal crackers, veggie tray and juice (PM)
Wed- apples and milk (AM), chicken noodle soup, toast (lunch), pudding, pretzels and juice (PM)
Thurs- peaches and milk (AM), pancakes, eggs (lunch), bagels with cream cheese and juice (PM)
Fri- banana and milk (AM), pizza with meat and veggies (lunch), muffins, cheese and juice (PM)
Sounds like a week in my house!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Spixie33
our week is a 2 week rotating menu.
MWF cereal (non sugar kind) fresh fruit and milk
T and Th WW toast, jam or cheese whiz, fresh fruit and milk
the parents provide the lunch
monday pm snack cheese crackers and pickles
Tuesday Baked Potatoes sour cream and or salsa
Wedensday Cream cheese pin wheels and water
Thursday Hummus and pita bread
friday fresh veggies crackers and dip
monday fresh veggies crackers and dip
tue rice and mixed veggies
wed homemade soup veggies and buns or crackers
thur apple sause and graham crackers
friday cucumbers crackers and cheese whiz
water is offered with all snacks
This is my old list cause I have since moved to a system where the kiddies help me choose the menu plan for the next week and I add a little Jolly Phonics twist that they have to help find foods that have our letter of the week in them which has opened up to trying some new foods... like this week were are trying some decaffeinated Oolong ice tea we are going to make for Letter O
Am snacks = one item plus a serving fruit
Cold cereal – rice crisp, shreddies, corn bran, alphabets, mini wheats
Pancakes / Waffles / French toast
Warm Oatmeal
Toast/Bagels/English muffins with PB or Cream Cheese or Cinnamon
Eggs … mini quiche, scrambled in mini pita pockets, hard boiled, Omelettes, A bird in the nest (toad in hole)
Cereal Bars
Yogurt / Cottage Cheese with fresh fruit
Mini Muffins … Pineapple coconut, peanut butter banana, apple raisin, pumpkin raisin, carrot raisin, raisin bran, cranberry lemon etc.
Cheese cubes and fruit
Summer Lunch
Macaroni & Cheese with All Beef Wieners Stewed Tomatoes & Apple
Cold Chicken, Pita bread & Fruit Salad
BBQ Hamburgers, Home fries, Grilled veggies & Orange slices
Tuna Salad Wraps & Fruit kabobs
Meat & Cheese Pizza’s, Raw Veggies & Dip & Applesauce
Cold Turkey, Caesar Salad & Peaches
Roast Beef Slices, Potato Salad & Red Applesauce
Tuna Melts On English Muffin, Vegetable Salad & Pears
Egg Salad Sandwiches, Cold Veggie Tray & Pineapple
Greek Chicken Salad with Pita and Hummus, Mixed Fruit
Taco Salad With nachos, ground beef and cheese & Mixed Fruit
Chicken Breasts, Baby Spinach Salad, Pita Bread & Oranges
Greek Pasta Salad, Feta, Tomato & Melon
Roast Beef Wraps, Coleslaw, Carrots & Mixed Fruit
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Veggie Tray with Dip & Pears
Ham Salad Wraps, Potato Salad, Carrot sticks & Oranges
Kabasa & Cheese Kabobs, Crackers & Fresh Fruit tray
Cold Tuna Noodle Salad, Sliced Tomatoes & Banana
Chicken & Veggie Wraps, Carrot Raisin Salad & Strawberries
Cold Roastbeef, Macaroni Salad, Sliced tomatoes & Banana
Peanut Butter Banana Dogs, Apple / Carrot Salad & Melon slices
Tuna Salad in a Pita, Cheese & Tomato, Sweet Pickles & Apple
Chicken on a Bun, Cold Pea & Carrot Salad & Kiwi
Ravioli with Meat Sauce, Tossed Salad & Peaches
Turkey on a Bun, Pasta Salad & Mango
Meat / Cheese Tray, Coleslaw, Rice Crackers & Mixed Fruit
Pizza muffins with a side salad
Chicken Sonoma Salad and Garlic sticks
Winter Lunch Ideas
Chicken Rice Casserole, Mixed Vegetables & Pineapple
Sloppy Joes, Cheese & Tomato, French Fries & Orange
Fish Sticks, Sweet Potatoes, Corn & Fruit
Meat & Cheese Pizza’s, Raw Veggies & Dip & Applesauce
Penne with Turkey Sausage, Caesar Salad & Peaches
Chicken Nuggets, Mashed Potato, Corn & Red Applesauce
Tuna Melts On English Muffin, Vegetable Soup & Pears
Franks & Beans, Toast, Vegetables & Pineapple
Turkey Stew, Peas / Carrots, Bread / Bun & Mixed Fruit
Vegetarian Chili with Nacho Chips, Vegetable Sticks & Fruit Salad
Homemade Soup, Ham Sandwiches & Apple
Pork Chops, Rice, Vegetables & Pineapple
Veggie Filled Lasagna, Garlic Bread & Oranges
Beef Stew, Potatoes, Carrots & Fruit
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches & Vegetable Soup & Pears
Ham, Scalloped Potatoes with Onions & Oranges
Swedish Meatballs with Rice, Broccoli & Pineapple
Tuna, Noodle & Cheese Casserole, Stewed Tomatoes & Banana
Shepherd’s Pie, Mixed Veggies, Bread & Butter & Apples
Cheeseburger Macaroni casserole , Stewed Tomatoes & Banana
Mexican Bean Pie, Rice, Salad & Pineapple
Tuna Melts, Cheese & Tomato, Sweet Pickles & Apple
Chicken on a Bun, French Fries, Corn & Kiwi
Greek Pizza, Veggies & Tatzikki Dip & Applesauce
Ravioli with Meat Sauce, Tossed Salad & Peaches
Thai Turkey Stir-fry, Egg Noodles & Mango
Tuna Rice Casserole, Peas / carrots & Pears
Sausage, Pancakes, Broccoli & Red Applesauce
Pork Chops, Peas / Carrots, Sweet Potatoes & Mixed Fruit
Cabbage Roll Casserole, Garlic Bread, Grapes
Chicken Carbanera with Caesar Salad and fruit
PM snacks plus a serving of fruit
Mexican Pinwheel Wraps
Homemade Cookies …. Oatmeal raisin, PB, Ginger snap Cookies, Hermits, Macaroons,
Cheese, Fish Crackers & Craisins
Pita triangles & Pate & Grapes
Crackers, Cheese and pears
Fruit kabobs and yogurt dip
Devilled Eggs and Apples
Mini muffins … cranberry lemon, Zucchini carrot, Banana Chocolate chip, Cherry Oatmeal surprise
Mini cheesecakes …. Graham wafer and flavoured cream cheese with raspberries stuck on top
Rice Crisp Squares and fruit puree
Mini Ice- cream Cones with banana sliced into cone
Vanilla pudding and mandarin oranges
Homemade Bits and Bites with Craisins
P&B crackers and Apple slices
Ants on a log
Veggies and various Dip
Pita and hummus
Pretzels and spinach dip
Peanut butter banana dogs
Nachos with salsa
Popcorn
Ambrosia Salad - cottage cheese, yogurt, coconut, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, marshmallows
Monkey Bread - homemade bread dough cubed tossed with cinnamon, sugar, pecans and baked
Pickle & Cheese trays
Baked Fruit crisps with Whip Cream (Apple, Strawberry Rhubarb, Mango)
Pumpkin Custard
Chocolate Avocado pudding
[/B]
Wow, that oughta give MrsD07 some ideas!!
Thanks Reggio
Great menu ideas =o)
This is my fall/ winter menu. Need to start on spring summer soon.
Snacks- served with water or half juice/water blend
Banana Blueberry muffins with flax seed
Whole grain crackers,
hummusHam or turkey breast,
whole grain bread or crackers and fruit
Homemade pita chips, sliced veggies & bean dip
Mini go yogurt and apple slices
Yogurt and berries smoothie
Sugar free apple sauce
Ants on a log: celery sticks filled with hummus, cream cheese or cheese topped with raisins, banana dices or apples dices
Apple sauce and graham crackers
Homemade yogurt cereal bars
Homemade Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin Squares
Soft Oatmeal Raisin Delights
Lunches- Milk is always served with meals
Grill cheese sandwiches made with raisin bread, apple slices
Cheese Quesadillas made with whole wheat tortillas, pear slices or veggie sticks
Homemade Mac n cheese with broccoli and garlic bread
Mini burgers, sweet potato fries and veggies
French toast made with raisin bread
English muffin pizza’s topped with veggies
Homemade chicken and peas nuggets with sweet potato fries
Hardboiled egg, whole grain toast fingers veggies
Homemade vegetarian lasagna
Homemade haddock sticks or nuggets with sweet potato fries
This thread is making me hungry... LoL :bored:
I don't prepare a menu. I serve a lot of variety and all the food groups daily but we are so busy here that if I can't fit in the fruit at lunch I double it at afternoon snack. If we are having fun at the park I'll quickly make cheese and ham cubes and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, buns and fruit instead of the meal I had planned to cook. I go with the flow competely and it's so much less stressful for me. These are just a couple of examples.
my menu is not set until Sunday when I make my weekly meal plan for the daycare and my family but this week we had:
Monday spaghetti with meatballs and caesar salad
Tuesday - homemade crispy chicken, roasted vegetables, risotto
Wednesday - quinoa salad, tuna and veggie melts, fruit salad
Thursday - noodle caesar salad, ham, mixed veggies, cubed cheese
Friday (today) - my one daycare girls birthday so her choice - homemade pizza she is helping me make, caesar salad, mixed fruit
Morning snack is always the same which is a huge bowl of seasonal fruit and a grain
Afternoon snack this week is was a rarity because I had two birthdays so we had two days of 'treat' snacks which are sundaes but that is as healthy as I can make it as well so frozen yogurt, homemade fruit puree and a couple sprinkles. But otherwise we have greek yogurt with added honey and fruit, apple sauces, cheese and crackers, crackers and hummus, veggies with dip are in regular rotation.
I used to send out a daily weekly menu to parents but now I just have a general list that is a go to for each week. I just give them the whole list of possibilities so it gives them an Idea of what their child will most likely be eating so that I have the flexibility to make whatever I feel like on any given day (a lesson learned after my first year:) I usually decide in my head each week what we're most likely going to have and do my groceries accordingly. Great Idea to see everyone else's! There's always something new to find and add! I love seeing everyone's menus. It'd be nice to get people's favourite recipes too. I think I'm going to start a new thread for that!
Breakfast Menu: 7:30-8:30
Toast with Butter and fruit
Scrammbled Eggs
French Toast with mixed fruit on the side
Pancakes with a touch of syrup and fruit
Cereal with Milk and fruit
Homemade Carrot Muffin
Fruit and Bran Muffin
Egg Burritos
English Muffin with cheese and ham
Boiled egg with Toast and Butter
Eggo Waffles
Broccoli and Cheese Quiche
Oatmeal with shredded apples and sprinkle of brown sugar
Croissants with butter and touch of Jam
Homemade Crepes with a bit of Nutella, coconut flakes and bananas
Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Green Onions and Toast with butter
Croissants with butter and melted cheese
Lunch Menu: 11:30-12:30
Homemade Mixed Veggie Soup with Bread and Butter
Homemade Tomatoe soup with Bread and Butter
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Bread and Butter
Zuppa Toscana (hearty Italian Style soup) with Bread and Butter
Homemade Cauliflower Veggie Soup with Bread and Butter
Homemade Split Pea Soup with Bread and butter
Homemade Meatballs and Macaroni with Asparagus on the side
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with ketchup and Grape tomatoes
Perogies with Sauteed onions and pan seared sausage pieces and veggies/coleslaw
Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Mortadella Deli Sandwiches with veggies or salad on the side
Tuna Salad Sandwich or wrap with veggies or salad on the side
Egg Salad Sandwich or wrap with veggies or salad on the side
Ham and Cheese Sandwich with veggies or salad on the side
Chicken Fajitas with a bit of beans, rice and vegetables
Pan Seared White Fish with baked potatoe bites
Homemade Chicken Cacciatore with spiraly or sea shell pasta
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with steamed veggies on the side
Homemade coconut curry vegetables with rice
Snacks: 10:00/10:30am and 3:30/4:00
Orange/ apple or Banana
Watermelon Slices
Mixed Fruit Platter
Fruit Salad
Yogurt and granola, Yogurt and Dried Fruit, Yogurt and fresh pineapple slices, Yogurt and peaches, 5 fruit Cereal bar and Yogurt, Yogurt and blueberries
Multigrain Crackers cheese and apple slices or grapes
Veggies and Dip (cucumbers, carrots celery, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)
Banana slices and organic Animal Crackers
Homemade apple sauce and Oatmeal cookie
Homemade apple sauce and a Digestive cookie
Homemade Muffin and fruit
Grape Tomatoes, Crackers and Cheese
Strawberry fruit puree and a digestive cookie
Fruit smoothie and a granola bar
Special K fruit crisp cereal bar and banana
Homemade Banana chocolate chip bread
This weeks menu is as follows
Monday
am snack - lentil hummus and veggies
Lunch - slow cooker (oh how I love thee) pulled purk with mash and veg followed by fruit
pm snack zuchinni/banana bread
Tuesday
am snack - cheese, pickles, pineapple chunks
Lunch - home made w.w pita pizzas followed by fresh fruit (They make their own and we have circle time with songs while we wait 5 minutes for them to cook)
pm snack - fresh fruit kebobs with yogurt dip
Wednesday
am snack - hummus toast fingers and veggies
Lunch - Chicken Curry with rice followed by fresh fruit
pm snack - cream cheese and veggie pinwheels
Thursday -
am snack - w.w carrot/sweet potato spelt muffins
Lunch - Beef Stroganoff with w.w egg noodles followed by fresh fruit
pm snack - orange smiles and home made frozen yogurt popsicles
Not working Friday this week.
My menu is on a 3 week cycle and changes every 9 weeks. I cook all food for the 9 week period one weekend and freeze it in foil trays and then reheat it in the oven. I don't tend to serve sandwiches very often as I have a group of kids who just dont like them. Maybe Ive spoilt them with all this hearty english food lol Even on a 30 degrees day my daycare kids will eat soups and hearty casseroles without any complaints.
Enlight of my newest dcb starting in July who's mom would prefer him to eat all organic, is there anybody out there who offers an 'all-organic' menu plan they wish to share with me? Ive never realized how many processed items we eat on a regular basis, and would be open to change for the better!
I serve all natural products and organic. Feel free to send me a message with any specific questions you might have and I can also send you via email a copy of my current menu plan.Quote:
Originally Posted by KingstonMom
I serve mostly organic food but don't promise all will be organic to parents due to costs because when costs are prohibitive I buy off the shelf, regular food. Very little of my food is prepackaged or frozen/canned so I think I'm doing a great job. Especially wheh I hear the parents talking about canned spaghetti or KD products, yuck!Quote:
Originally Posted by bright sparks
My daycare kids are part-time and I go by the parents work schedules so it's different days each week. Sometimes it's day by day, so here is today's menu!
Am. Snack
Cubed cheese
Apples
Juice
Lunch
Ham
Mashed potatoes
corn
milk to drink
pm. snack
carrot/ cucumber slices
veggie onion dip
water to drink
I don't make a menu any more because none of the parents really cared about it. They trust that their children are getting great, nutritious meals with me. I serve a lot of certified organically grown food and juice with breakfast which is usually 2 items. Here's a sample of how I feed the children. Today was pancakes and blueberries. I serve milk with lunch and afternoon snack. Today lunch will be turkey sausages, cucumbers, brocolli, tortilla rolled up with cream cheese and sliced into pinwheels, pears & kiwis. Afternoon snack will be cheese slices & red & green pepper strips. Tomorrow's lunch will be chicken and veggies in the crockpot with a grain item and fruit. Lunch is our big meal every day. Canned or prepackaged foods are used rarely here, mostly the bread items.
Breakfast choices: (although most of the time my dck are feed breakfast before they come, sometimes they need a top up or missed it due to sleeping in): Oatmeal mixed with applesauce and fruit, toast with peanut butter/jam/butter/almond butter/etc, hardboiled eggs and fruit.
Morning snack M-F: 4 different fruits. I serve my snacks buffet style where they can choose what they want to eat. I have never had a problem with a picky eater because of it because I feel that picky eating is either 1) they are not exposed to healthy options at home or often enough and 2) it's a power thing and they like to make their own decisions. I just place the snacks on a small table in the play room and they can graze during our morning learning time. I leave morning snack out until lunch time, that way when we get in from outside, they can munch if they feel too hungry to wait until lunch. It also curbs whining and grumpinees caused from being hungry since toddlers and small children are habitual grazers. I also still find they eat their lunch, maybe not quite as much, but they put in a good effort.
Lunch
Monday: Pita pizzas and yogurt. As a craft, I let the children make their own pizzas and put a variety of ingredients out to choose from. They enjoyed this very much.
Tuesday: Grilled cheese and pea soup. A favorite over here.
Wednesday: Breakfast for lunch: Bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, toast, and oranges. Also a crowd pleaser.
Thursday: Tuna Casserole. One of my guys did not like the casserole but he did try it which is the important part so i made him a grilled PB and banana sandwich as a reward.
Friday: Pesto Pasta with tomatoes, chicken, and goats cheese/ Yogurt for dessert.
Afternoon snack M-F: Again, I serve this buffet style and I mix it up. I always serve veggies and a vegetable based dip (homemeade) or guacamole (homemade) and a whole wheat cracker or pita chip. If there wasn`t any meat served at lunch, I place some salami or pita and hummus sandwiches out.
Some other snack ideas I place out are celery with cream cheese in the middle, jam and cream cheese rolled in whole wheat pitas, raisins, cheese, homemade granola bars, goldfish, etc.
Thanks a lot:-) This is an awesome site. I was always concerned about the menus..love it.
I am not running daycare but I want to do this for my two little girls, one is 3 years old and the other one is 14 months.