Ideas for a childcare menu?

[ifoundmyglory]

Would anyone care to give me some ideas for foods on a child care menu, can be any of the following..

Breakfast, Morning tea, lunch, dessert, afternoon tea, supper.

I have a few more to go, so any help would be lovely.


Oh & relatively healthy :laughing:

[0BleSseD0]

A kind of mixed vegetable fritatta slice is usually popular, tomatoey vegetable macaroni, ham & cheese and vegemite and cheese sandwiches for lunches. Some kind of risotto with pumpkin & veg is usually good too.

Jelly and custard are popular for little ones too.
Homemade jelly made with juice and gelatin are best. My kids like pineapple, because you can mix in a can of pineapple pieces with it. Custard powder mixed with warm milk and microwaved makes good custard. Yoghurt with fruit is also nice.

Afternoon teas are easy, cheese slices and cut up fruit, or for variety a fruit salad.

Baked beans are usually popular too, they are really good for kids, and most kids will eat them with no worries at all.

No-no's are cakes, sugary bikkies, processed foods (cheeses, causages, salami) and the obvious one is lollies.
Ipersonally would not ever send my child to a center where they celebrate birthdays even with sugary lollies and ice-cream (frozen yoghurt is good)

Usually the s26 website and the heinz website have recipes developed for 6 mths to 3 ish

HTH!

[M~T~J~M]

At my old centre, my cook used to do this dish that the children just loved!! It sounds weird, but it's very tasty!!

Sausages
Baked beans
Pasta
Tin tomato
Tomato sauce
Shredded cheese

You just cook the sausages up (boil them), then peel them (not very nice to do, lol). Boil your pasta up at the same time (in a different pot of course). Once the pasta is done, strain it, and add your baked beans, tin tomato and sauce. Slice the sausages up and add these in too. Stir to combine. Put into casserole dishes and cover with shredded cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
Serve with simple vegies - peas, corn, carrot. As an alternative, peas and corn can be added too!

Like I said, sounds weird, but tastes great!!

[sasa]

I used to cook for a childcare centre some of the lunches off the top of my head were.. god I have gone blank if I can find my old work book I will come back with the list..

Fish and vegies
tuna mornay
frittatta
sausage shepards pie
maccaronni cheese
chicken curry and rice - was obviulsy not a hot one

morning and afternoon teas always a frutit platter and...

pikelets
biccies and cheese
apricot slice

[missie_mack]

I would have thought anything with a egg base like frittatas would be a big no no. It is the most common allergy there is for little ones and more common than the banned peanut butter :confused:

[SilverStarfish]

Ipersonally would not ever send my child to a center where they celebrate birthdays even with sugary lollies and ice-cream (frozen yoghurt is good)


While I'm not saying that frozen yogurt isn't good for you (cos, like everything, in moderation it is! And it's very very yummy) but next time you are at the supermarket compare the nutritional panel of a tub of frozen yogurt and a tub of plain ice cream and you might get a surprise.

It can depend on the brand and the type, but quite often frozen yogurt contains higher levels of sugar than ice cream.

[0BleSseD0]

While I'm not saying that frozen yogurt isn't good for you (cos, like everything, in moderation it is! And it's very very yummy) but next time you are at the supermarket compare the nutritional panel of a tub of frozen yogurt and a tub of plain ice cream and you might get a surprise.

It can depend on the brand and the type, but quite often frozen yogurt contains higher levels of sugar than ice cream.

I wouldnt know, I make my own.

[Shakey]

At the preschool that I worked at this is what they would make

for morning tea it was things like - muffins, cheese and crackers, mouse traps (you know cheese and vegemite), scones, cinimin scrolls, samwiches and always fruit

Lunh was - spagetti, spag bol, roast lamb/chicken or beef, lasagna, mince dishes, pizza, and pudding, like fruit and custard or jelly and icecream

afternoon tea - cheese and crackers, scones, plain biscuits, samwiches and always fruit, the cook quite often did baking so cake and muffins were often on the menu as well

[ifoundmyglory]

:idea: Thankyou, Ive got some ideas now