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Does
your daycare provider supply the
snacks
at daycare for your child? More
commonly, conventional group daycares
and oftentimes in-home daycares are
asking parents to bring snacks for their
own child or for all the children in his
class.
How
many snacks should I bring?
Depending on the age of the child, the
quantity of snacks at daycare typically
ranges from 6 to 15.
Your daycare provider will
provide you with an exact quantity. Make
sure to review the snacks and daycare
schedule regularly to see if your child’s class
size changes.
How
often should I expect to provide snacks
at daycare?
If you are providing snacks for your own
child, the daycare may ask you to bring
snacks every day. If you are bringing
snacks for the class, you will likely
take turns with other parents and/or the
daycare provider. Depending on the size
of his class, you should expect to bring
snacks once a week or once a month.
What
foods should I bring?
Because of food allergies, some daycares
may require foods that are prepackaged.
With packaged foods, the provider can
check the ingredients label before
offering it to a child with a specific
allergy, such as to peanuts or dairy.
Prepackaged foods also eliminate the
possibility of traces of an allergen on
a utensil or container that may have
been used to prepare the snack. “If your
child has a food allergy, we highly
recommend that you bring your own snacks
for your child,” says Lisa Busalacchi,
daycare director of Almost Home in
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. “That way you can
be assured your child is being protected
as much as possible.”
Consider the age of the child when
choosing snacks at daycare. Small items,
such as grapes may be choking hazards
for young children, especially under the
age of three. Additionally, most
physicians are recommending peanut
products only be given to children over
the age of two – and even older for
cashews and walnuts – to prevent
developing a peanut allergy. Check with
your daycare provider for specific
guidelines.
Your
daycare may provide you with a breakfast
and lunch schedule for the month. Before
you choose a snack, check the schedule
to see what they are serving for the
day. Lisa of Almost Home explains,
“Canned peaches may not look too
inviting at snack time if the kids just
had it with lunch.”
Most
daycares will ask you to bring “healthy”
snacks. So what is considered a healthy
snack? According to The Dietary
Guidelines, developed by the
Department of Health and Human Services
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
children over the age of two should eat
a variety of foods, including plenty of
vegetables, fruits and grain products
while keeping sugars and salt to a
minimum.
Running
out of ideas for healthy snacks? Here
are some convenient healthy snacks to
bring:
§
Cheese
sticks or slices
§
Crackers – Try oyster crackers or fish
crackers.
§
Graham
crackers
§
Fresh
fruit, for example bananas or grapes
§
Canned
fruit, such as mandarin oranges,
peaches, pears, mixed fruit or
applesauce
§
Dried
fruit, such as raisins or apricots
§
Trail
mix - Considering the peanut allergy,
this is recommended for older children
and those without allergy concerns.
§
Granola
bars - This is also recommended for
older children and those without allergy
concerns.
§
Rice
cakes – Comes in many fun flavors.
§
Mini
bagels
§
Beef
sticks
§
Yogurt
§
Mini
muffins
§
Prepackaged sliced apples
§
Pretzels – Considered a better choice
than chips.
§
Popcorn
– Add or buy cheese or caramel. Because
of the possible choking hazard, this is
recommended for older children.
§
Chex
Mix™
– Check out the new prepackaged flavored
varieties.
§
Dry
cereal, such as granola, Cheerios™
or Mini Wheats™
§
Cut up
raw veggies, for instance carrots or
celery
§
Pickles
Want to
spice up your child’s snack time? Try
some of these for a creative twist:
§
Bake
muffins inside an ice cream cone.
§
Sprinkle apple slices with cinnamon and
sugar to make a mini apple pie.
§
Serve
graham cracker sticks with yogurt cups
for dipping (kids love to dip).
§
Cut
sugar free Jello Jigglers™
into shapes that match the season, such
as pumpkins for Halloween or hearts for
Valentine’s Day.
§
Mix
fresh fruit into Jello™
before it sets.
§
Serve
cut up raw veggies with peanut butter,
veggie dip or cheese spread.
Recommended for older children.
§
Make a
pear boat by inserting a toothpick into
two ends of a slice of processed cheese
to form a sail, then place the toothpick
into the middle of a pear half to create
the boat. Recommended for older
children.
§
Spread
cream cheese onto flour tortillas and
place ham slices on top. Roll up and cut
into bite-sized pieces.
§
Slice
crisp bagels and bake on a cookie sheet
until golden brown. Meanwhile, mix
melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. Toss
the sugar mixture with the bagels.
Providing snacks at daycare does not
have to be a chore. Think of it as a
good opportunity to provide your child
with a snack you can control – at least
for a day. And when you include your
child in preparation or the choices, it
can be fun as well as educational.
At Almost Home
daycare center, your tuition includes
meals and one snack. The kids get to
learn the value of ownership and giving
by providing and distributing one snack
a month. Snacks at daycare schedules are
provided in parent's folders each month.
Interested in a
daycare center for your child? Visit
Almost Home's program information page
or call us at
our Oconomowoc daycare center at
262-569-5655.
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