https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:30:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-320147 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:33:57 +0000 yoursilverlining 320147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our daycare provides free (well, included in cost, nothing is free) snacks and lunch. Maybe breakfast too, I'm not sure since we are still in 100% formula bottles stage.</p> <p>Their menus look pretty good - a meat/protein, fruit, veggies everyday. Not a ton of empty carbs or high sugar items. It's cooked on-site using fresh ingredients. </p> <p>I still plan to pack food for LO because I want to really have her eating all sorts of foods that I don't see them offering on a regular basis, but its good to know that if I'm too tired to make her a lunch, she'll get decent food all day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-320140 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:29:57 +0000 MamaCate 320140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our LO is still in the infant room so we provide everything food-wise. Once she moves to the toddler room in a few months they provide am/pm snacks but we still send lunch and milk i am pretty sure. Some of the other places we looked at did include meals but the center we chose was so great in other areas that i feel it was worth it. It would be one less thing to worry about though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-320128 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:21:27 +0000 MamaG 320128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our daycare doesn't always have the greatest food, but they do use the "Daily Plate" and try to make the day well balanced.</p> <p>Given that I'm a fairly picky eater, it's really best that she gets alot of different options at daycare to help her palate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319954 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:56:10 +0000 Mrs. Cowgirl 319954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>yep! breakfast and lunch! breakfast is usually just cereal, but lunch is always homemade and always balanced and nutritious...thanks to our daycare provider, lil' CB loves salad, quinoa, cabbage soup, yuca...i can't thank her enough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319933 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:49:21 +0000 regberadaisy 319933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaG: yea I saw a lot of juice on the menu! When the time comes I'll def ask them to not give her juice. If and when we do it'll only be 100% and really watered down! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319924 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:44:22 +0000 MamaG 319924@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our school provides breakfast (free until we move to toddlers @ 15 months, then $2/day), morning snack,lunch and two afternoon snacks. They also only offer organic milk and filtered water (no juice). </p> <p>We have also provided some back-up food in case she refuses what is being offered for lunch. She never refuses breakfast, but has refused some of the lunch food. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319889 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:16:07 +0000 regberadaisy 319889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our daycare does but since she's not of age yet obvs we don't partake. Haven't looked at their menus so not sure what we will do yet.</p> <p>ETa: just looked at their sample menus, the breakfast and lunch aren't bad. But the afternoon snacks are horrible! Pudding, pretzels etc. so depending on the week's menu I think certain days I might bring our own.<br /> I'm not sure either if it's cooked on site or Pre-packaged?! If Pre-packaged I will def bring our own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319887 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:14:50 +0000 DillonLion 319887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They daycare we are sending LO to next year provides breakfast, lunch, snacks, and diapers/wipes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319884 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:12:37 +0000 Mommy Finger 319884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I remember correctly, as LO isn't here yet but already signed up for daycare awhile ago, they provide breakfast, lunch and a snack, all organic once they graduate to regular food. Meaning that if you use purees, you'll have to provide those yourself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319074 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:24:53 +0000 T.H.O.U. 319074@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They provide food, but I still pack food. IMO, they don't offer great quality (nothing organic or fresh). We like to add a few things to get her to try. Also, their snacks are HORRIBLE. Mostly crackers every day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319070 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:22:50 +0000 creativemomma15 319070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work at a daycare that provides breakfast, lunch, and snack cooked fresh daily in house by two chefs (and formula and baby food)... If grandma wasn't watching my DS I would definitely love that food is provided! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319064 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:20:36 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 319064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They provide snacks and milk, but not lunch. There is the option to buy lunch through a catering service called "Cater Tots" though, but we opted to just make her lunch everyday.</p> <p>However, they do have a microwave and will heat up their lunches so that definitely helps with coming up with more variety. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-319055 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:18:58 +0000 pelikila 319055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes our daycare provides two lunches (morning and afternoon) plus milk and a hot lunch every day once they start table foods. The menu is posted so if you have any concerns of a particular food or item you can request an alternate or give specific instructions beforehand. Since my son is very picky and doesn't eat much variety at home I actually like that they provide the food. He sees the other kids eating the same thing and it goes a long way to getting him to eat it as well. If I packed the lunch and the other kids didn't have the same thing I think he'd be a really skinny kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-318992 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:49:58 +0000 SAHM0811 318992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our former preschool in NYC served lunch through Red Rabbit at no extra cost. Loved not having to pack her lunches. The menu was always full of variety and healthy ingredients too. Now in LA I pack her lunch 3 days a week and she gets hot lunch at school twice a week. I have to say I enjoy packing her lunch a little, but am also glad I get a little break and the school provides some too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-318984 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:45:35 +0000 Adira 318984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The daycare that we'll HOPEFULLY be sending our children to DOES provide food! This is one of the reasons we're choose them over other daycares we looked at. Not having to pack lunch for my kids will be such a time-saver! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-318974 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:39:57 +0000 Mrsbells 318974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daycare provides one snack I think but you still have to pack breakfast and lunch for them. At this ppoint my LO is still on bottles but I think I prefer packing my own lunch for her because that way I know exactly what goes into it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/does-your-daycare-provide-food#post-318966 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:37:49 +0000 Mrs. Bee 318966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wish Charlie's daycare provided food. We're sending Olive there too soon, and it would be so much easier if they provided food.</p> <p>Lately I spend a ton of time cooking because I want to expose Olive to as many different foods as possible so she doesn't end up like her picky brother. But three meals a day plus packing a lunch and breakfast for Charlie is a lot of work!</p> <p>Does your daycare provide food? Or do you prefer packing your own lunch? </p>