What Snacks does your preschool Provide?

[alienhost]

DD will start pre-school in the fall. The one I have her registered at provides a snack. I was surprised to see that a lot of what they provide seems a little "junk foody" to me although I realize twice a week eating these things is no big deal.

fruit loops and milk
oreos
cheese and club crackers
Dunkaroos (I think Keebler makes these - cookies you dunk in chocolate?)

they recommend Dunkin Donuts munchkins for birthday treats.

I know there are other things but I can't think of them right now. In my mind I think of preschool snacks as graham crackers, animal crackers etc - which aren't "healthy" but seem to be more so than oreos.

I'm just curious what other schools are providing or if this is a typical snack menu.

ETA: My DD is peanut/treenut allergic so I need to review all the snacks with the director to determine what she can/cannot eat allergy-wise. I was wondering if I should suggest things like Goldfish/Raisins since she can eat those and they are "healthier".

ETA again: I'm in no way trying to change the school just to accomodate my daughter. I was just wondering if they could buy the snacks where they've been purchasing other snacks (Costco) and if they are comparable in price, if they were willing to do that.

TIA!

[pixiecat]

Hmm.. my DD is a little younger (2.5), but her daycare center provides snacks that are a bit healthier than that:

cut up fruit
raisiens
goldfish (mass quantities of goldfish!)
sometimes graham crackers...

for parties we are expressly *discouraged* from bringing sugary treats... Usually they will get one sweet treat & then stickers, toys, etc.

[alienhost]

pixiecat One reason I was asking about this is that was I was thinking of asking the director if she would be willing to start discouraging b'day celebrations by the way of sugary snacks. My DD is allergic to peanuts and treenuts and the "bringing in of miscellanous food" is a concern. I can have "safe" snacks for her but it would be great if people could celebrate by donating a book to class (and have it read that day), stickers or other non-food items. However since we will be new there I'm not sure I should rock the boat and wonder if other parents would be upset.

I definitely was thinking the snacks would be more along the lines of what you mentioned.

[lee60657]

Alienhost I agree that those do seem a bit "junk foody" for a preschool snack. At my DD's school they serve dry cheerios, graham crackers, fruit, applesauce, crackers, raisins... when they have holiday parties, they may have pudding or fruit snacks, but that does not happen very often.

For b-day parties they do allow store bought/bakery bought cupcakes, etc. so the kids do get treats on occasion. ETA: Birthday party treats are also required to be nut-free, but I definitely see your concern. For DDs, b-day I ordered cupcakes from a very reputable bakery and they promised they were nut-free - BUT, I did tell the director and teachers that I saw products with nuts in them at the bakery - I know that some children have such severe allergies that even eating something that has been prepared someplace that has nuts can be very serious. I did also bring store bought pudding cups and applesauce to make sure that all of the children could be included, but your idea of non food celebrations is a good one. One fun thing my DD's teachers did was to have everyone make party hats:) DD's said birthday girl on it - I thought that was a cute and fun activity.

We also have the option of bringing a snack if we prefer that our child have something different than what is on the menu - maybe you could do that?

[dana b]

i don't think i'm really that anal about food, but that list has me scratching my head. i think that's total crap food and i don't see how they can come up with that when healthier options would be just as easy to get :confused: at our preschool we're responsible for bringing snack for the entire school 2 times a year. the junkiest thing i've ever seen is goldfish, other things on the list to bring are: muffins, bread, bagels, whole grain crackers, cheese, whole fruit (teachers cut it up) and veggies.
i don't mind my kids eating that kind of stuff once in a while when visiting or at birthday parties, but at school, i'd probably say my kid is allergic to a bunch of stuff and just send them with their own snack.

eta: i think discouraging the birthday treats would be rocking the boat (we can bring in birthday cookies), but i don't think it would be rocking the boat to encourage them to serve healthier snacks on a daily basis.

[maggieb]

ACK! I would say something about that snack list. Horrible.

Helena's school provides things like pretzels, raisins, fruit, bagels, graham crackers, veggies and dip, etc.

[mamax2]

eta: i think discouraging the birthday treats would be rocking the boat (we can bring in birthday cookies), but i don't think it would be rocking the boat to encourage them to serve healthier snacks on a daily basis.

ITA, I'd go for altering the general snack menu first and leave birthdays alone. For many families, not celebrating w/cupcakes, cookies, etc. would/could be a real drag.

That said, I have to agree that snack list isn't too hot. Our pre-k doesn't provide snack at all, but they gave us a list of suggestions (each family brings class snack about once/month).

The most frequent items are goldfish and pretzles. They have their fair share of graham crackers (especially those shaped like bugs), animal crackers and chips. Cupcakes happen a few times a month as well.

I've sent things like:
apple cider cookies
mini string cheese
raisins
rice krispie treats
oatmeal cherry bars

There is one child in the class who is tree-nut allergic so I always label all ingredients if something is homemade. Actually, my biggest beef is that they want us to send in 20 juice boxes or bottles of water. Why can't these kids use a cup??? So much waste :rolleyes:

[Chylynn]

Wow, that list does appear to be all junky food. Ick.

Our preschool is regulated in the snacks that parents are able to bring in. They have a program that works with the state that they are not allowed to serve junk food. If parents send it in, they don't serve it to the kids. If the school was ever inspected, they could lose their special license that they have if the inspector found "junk food" there. We are not allowed to bring store brought cupcakes, candy, cake, ect. for birthdays. Fruit and muffins, bagels, ect. are allowed.

Honestly, this was one of the reasons that the preschool sold me. I love the fact that my DD will not be around a lot of junk food when I am not with her at school.

[Renrel]

Our preschool is full day and part of the school lunch program so I think they are required to serve foods that meet food pyramid guidlines or something. The morning snack is always a grain, milk and a fruit. The grain could be something like a muffin, crossant or cereal and the fruit could fresh or canned. The afternoon snacks are things like: pita and cheese, waffles and yogert, graham crackers and jelly. They also serve a hot lunch but you did not ask about that.

We do bring in snacks for b-days but they have a no peanut rule, and a no chocolet rule and we are not allowed to put any candy into a goody bag.

The rules for snacks are relaxed a few times a year when they have special all school parties to which parents are usually invited. Brownies and cheesecakes and cookies ect are all OK for these celebrations, but there are also health options, like bagels, sandwichs, vegtables and fruit.

[Ohana]

DD1 attends a preschool that's part of her daycare, so she's there all day. The school is very sensitive about children with peanut allergies, so it is a completely nut free zone.

They provide morning and afternoon snacks, and they offer things like:

- "Trail mix" which includes dry cereal, dried fruit, pretzels, etc
- Goldfish crackers
- Cheese and crackers
- Fruit muffins
- Soft pretzels with cheese sauce
- Breadsticks with marinara sauce
- Cut up fruit
- Veggies with Ranch
- Quesadillas
- Animal crackers

A recent addition was Sunbutter. It's sunflower seed butter, therefore very similar to peanut butter, without the anaphalactic shock! The kids love it and eat it with crackers or apples.

Honestly, the foods you listed are pretty sugary, and I for one would not be happy with such offerings. Can you talk to the admin about finding more healthful snacks?

[Ohana]

Also, on the birthdays, our daycare is very strict. Absolutely no homemade goodies, and if parents bring in treats from outside, the food must be from a commercial kitchen, and the admin must receive an ingredient list 2 days before the party. The daycare also provides, for a very reasonable fee, popsicles or cupcakes for birthdays.

Again, the school DD attends is sensitive to the extreme. They have had more than one child have a severe allergic reaction at school, which is why they are so strict.

[AlisonCO]

We alternate bringing snack at my son's preschool. On the approved list are:

plain crackers - goldfish, triscuits, wheat thins, pretzels
cheese - cubes or string
fruit - cut in cubes/slices
veggies - cut
dry cereal - low sugar - Kix,Cherrios
dried fruit
mini muffins/bread - banana, blueberry, pumpkin

On your child's b-day you may bring a snack in that is sweet but it has to be small like mini cupcakes with no frosting, rice krispie treats or cookies. They only serve water.

I would be very unhappy if my child were eating those kind of snacks on a regular basis - especially cookies/sugary cereal - all of that sugar mid morning is going to cause a crazy spike and then they are going to crash before lunch. I would probably bring something in for my child that is more healthy. We have a child in DS's class that cannot have milk products so his mom leaves a box of crackers for him. Thankfully at this age, most kids don't care or comment if you are eating something different.

[alienhost]

Thanks for all of your replies. I was VERY suprised to see these items on the menu. I would like to talk with the director in providing healthier snacks but how would you recommend me doing this? Since we haven't even started there, I wonder if I should wait.

I was thinking of asking her for a full list of what they serve (for allergy purposes anyway) and see if everything is really junkie or if I just happened to see a month with a lot of junk. Like I said, I only could remember these things, probably since they were "odd".

My DD has had maybe Oreos twice and never had sugary cereals. I would hate for her to get in the habit of wanting these things all the time, KWIM?

Also I can send in her snack everyday but I also don't want her to feel excluded by having something different when the allergy doesn't proclude her from having something (i.e. I checked on the oreos and they are OK for her, allergy-wise, just not my #1 choice of snack for her).

I'd love some suggestions on how to approach the director if most of the food is junkie, as I suspect. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot. This was really the only thing I "disliked" about the program, and I was happy that the school is peanut-free. I had looked at other places that had healthier snacks but were not peanut free.

I mean is it possible that I'm the ONLY parent that that might be concerned about these food choices since they may have been serving these things for years? I'm just puzzled....

and for now I'm going to ignore the birthday thing and focus of the rest of the snacks. For birthday treats I'll probably have a separate box of "safe" snacks for her to eat from.

[hub1176]

I have to agree with what others have said. There are so many healthier options out there.
I would think approaching the director with your concerns is a great idea - specifically since your DC has allergies. Make it a health issue.

[Noniitis]

I cannot imagine that you are the first to question these choices.

My DS is in 2 preschool programs. The neighborhood preschool he attends the parents take turns bringing in the snack and there is a list of items. Nothing homemade is allowed. Even cut fruit has to be from a store < you know like the bags of cut apples at Trader Joes> The Spanish Immersion preschool he attends we actually pay $25 and they provide all organic snacks for the kids. It includes a fresh fruit and cereal or cracker.

[nancy drew]

the school my children attend offers pretzels, vanilla wafers, wheat thins, and challah on fridays. they probably serve other snacks but those are the ones i have seen.

i remember when i was teaching in the inner city they offered breakfast to the students. my first year at that school the breakfast offerings were *horrid*. one of the teachers' least favorites was an "apple turnover" which was exactly the same thing as a hostess apple pie. so imagine 30 first graders eating a hostess apple pie for breakfast, and then being expected to pay attention and learn something. it was insane. and these meals were being served to all of the elementary students in our city's public schools. another least favorite was the "honey bun" which was a doughy blob coated in honey. talk about a mess... the next 2 years i taught they changed the menu and offered things like cheerios and milk with an apple. we teachers were so relieved.

sorry for the tangent, but i suppose it does relate in that obviously someone complained and positive changes were made.

ETA: i didnt see your second post, so i guess its not much of a tangent. i honestly dont know *how* the changes were made at the school where i taught, but do you know other parents whose children attend school there? can you casually ask them if the snacks bother them?

[cr8zyforaf]

DD daycare provides AM and PM snacks...usually fruits, veggies, cheese and crackers, cereal (cheerios, muffins), sometimes they will make scrambled eggs....I am 80% happy with the snack menu.

I am shocked at the quality of food that other parents bring in - who gives a 2 year old pop tarts for breakfast - when I drop A off, there is ALWAYS a kid eating a pop tart for breakfast....and doughnut holes..like a plastic baggie full of them for a 2 yo breakfast?? I've also noticed thinks like cheese sticks (like the kind you would get in a bar), cheetos, cookies, hostess type cakes in the kids lunch.

[mamax2]

I'd love some suggestions on how to approach the director if most of the food is junkie, as I suspect. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot. This was really the only thing I "disliked" about the program, and I was happy that the school is peanut-free. I had looked at other places that had healthier snacks but were not peanut free.

Does the school have any of the following:
- 'Room Mom'
- PTA/Committee positions
- Parent's advisory board

I think the first step is to simply be involved with the school. You could start now by approaching the director about open positions and mention your interest in healthy foods/learning about food choices/food prep, etc. You would also be a good candidate for creating a role like this within the school since your DD is nut-allergic and you have more sensitivity/info. than parents of non-allergic kids.

My sense is that the school may have been so focused on being nut-free, it has been to the detriment of an overall healthy eating plan. It might just take a willing person to look at it a different way.

Another fun thing would be to work with the teachers to do some food prep - maybe even a small garden - with the kids so they start to learn about where food comes from, choices, etc.

Good luck and let us know how this all turns out!

[hub1176]

I am shocked at the quality of food that other parents bring in - who gives a 2 year old pop tarts for breakfast - when I drop A off, there is ALWAYS a kid eating a pop tart for breakfast....and doughnut holes..like a plastic baggie full of them for a 2 yo breakfast?? I've also noticed thinks like cheese sticks (like the kind you would get in a bar), cheetos, cookies, hostess type cakes in the kids lunch.

Sorry to hijack, but this cracked me up. I was just at a conference for day care providers and we were pretty much saying the exact same thing. We have kids who refuse to eat at our homes, because we refuse to serve that crap - Only to have their parents stop at McDonald's on the way home because their child is hungry..ummm gee, ya think? :rolleyes:
Or they come in with 1/2 eaten doughnuts that their parents bought for them because they knew they wouldn't eat the breakfast being served...:eek:
Hijack over.

[nancy drew]

oh wait, that reminds me!!! two years in a row, guess what they served for breakfast on picture day at the school where i taught? powdered sugar doughnuts. that was another regular menu item, along with the hostess apple pies. but seriously, have you any idea what a mess powdered sugar doughnuts are for these kids? their burgundy uniform shirts were covered in white powder. on picture day. nice. we spent an extra long time in the bathroom making sure the kids were clean those days.

[boilermaker]

I too would not be happy with the snack choices, but I think getting them changed may be a delicate issue. I'd test the waters with a casual comment to see why they offer those. I'd also talk to a few other parents to see if there are similar views as yours. It is much easier to make a change if a majority wants it.

As for you daughter feeling excluded, you may be surprised. A good friend of mine has a child with a few allergies, so she provides her sons daycare snacks. He gets pretty healthy things, like raisins. The other kids are sooo jealous because he is the "special" one and they want to be special too :) And as a side benefit, if you can get the kids to ask for healthier food, how can the school argue with that!

[catmom]

Gosh, if my DD ate stuff like that for her snack, the folks at the preschool would get what they deserved! Seriously, if I fed her crap like that her behavior would be just awful. She needs protein, or at least some complex carbs, not just sugar.

I looked at one preschool where the snack consisted of saltines and water. How is that supposed to tide a 3-year old over until lunch? Sometimes I wonder if other people's kids just don't eat very much, and that's why they can get away with this. My kid needs to eat, or else!

[AlisonCO]

Honestly if it were me, I would just schedule a very relaxed meeting with the director and feel him/her out. I would mention how much I love the class size/activities/teachers BUT that I wasn't as impressed with the quality of snacks. Maybe you could see who buys the snacks and how much they have to spend. Honestly going to somewhere like Cosco, you could easily buy things like goldfish crackers/pretzels, dry cereal and dried fruit maybe applesauce occasionally for the same amount of money as Oreos.

I also agree with boilermaker, at this age I would not stress too much at all about your child being excluded or teased for having a different snack. DS's best friend has a bad milk allergy and can only have like 2 things for snack time so his mom always brings a bag for him. I usually ask DS what he had for snack and after he tells me he always adds "Well except Benjamin, he had a slice of turkey wrapped around a piece of apple." No big deal.

[alienhost]

thanks for all of the input. DD doesn't start at this school until September so I have some time to ask around etc. I'm going to call the director soon to schedule a meeting to discuss DD's allergy so I'll try to get some more info then about the entire snack list etc.

Also I appreciate the thoughts on whether DD would feel "excluded", I'm glad to hear at this age it doesn't seem to happen.

[ellybelle]

Sometimes the snacks at DD's daycare are like that, and it annoys me.

Mostly they serve reasonably healthy things (fruit and milk, goldfish, cheerios, etc.), so I haven't made a big deal about it, especially since she doesn't get junk at home and she's always been on the lighter side. We try not to have any "forbidden" food categories.

However, I was annoyed the other day when I found out that she had frootloops (sp?) for her morning snack, but was then required to eat everything in her lunchbox before she could have her dessert (yoghurt). I purposely pack a little "extra" in her box in case she's going through a growth spurt, but I don't want to enroll her in the "clean plate" club. I did discuss all this with the teacher, but had to do it delicately.