https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 30 May 2026 04:18:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617541 Thu, 08 Sep 2016 02:05:40 +0000 wheres_c 2617541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Echoing other posters. We don't send a lunch. They serve an AM snack, lunch and an afternoon snack. I am surprised every day by what he will eat at school (when there's peer pressure and/or limited choices). He always eats his veggies at school. Never eats them at<br /> Home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617529 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 23:17:10 +0000 pregnantbee 2617529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If food were included, I'd never send a lunch. Maybe some extra snacks, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617498 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:12:38 +0000 gingerbebe 2617498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our old daycare served lunch and my son who is finicky at home was apparently their best eater who ate everything they served - like everything. I was completely shocked and THEY were completely shocked that he was a picky eater at home. Peer pressure is great. If they serve a balanced menu you feel good about I'd say don't sweat it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617496 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:10:38 +0000 PinkElephant 2617496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mossyslane: Judging by what she creates in her play kitchen, I would NOT want to eat whatever DD was serving for lunch :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617492 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:02:09 +0000 mossyslane 2617492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Haha, I read this post as, "If your preschooler serves lunch." ... and was thinking, 'Wow!, those are some advanced kiddos!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617486 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:46:31 +0000 PinkElephant 2617486@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@KayKay: Can you tell my DD didn't go to daycare? I'm probably over thinking it :)</p> <p>I agree, I think it's totally worth a try. My concern was that not liking the food served could color her impression of her new school/her first full day experience...but she's pretty open with her feelings, and I think that it's likely that if lunch is upsetting her, she'll bring it up (aka complain, haha) to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617484 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:42:21 +0000 KayKay 2617484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pinkelephant: at my DD1s first daycare, they provided all meals and it was awesome. I would send other stuff when she was just starting solids, but after that, it was so easy AND exposed her to things we didn't eat often Sometimes it was stuff that I wasn't super excited about, but mostly it was healthy stuff and exposed her to random things we don't make or eat often. They always had some sort of carb and fruit, so worst case she would eat those plus milk. But more often than not, the peer pressure got to her and she would at least try everything!</p> <p>Now, if you know your LO is SUPER picky and would definitely not eat, I would consider sending stuff. But maybe give it a chance first? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617480 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:34:10 +0000 avivoca 2617480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: They don't send a menu home, so I have no idea what they serve until I get the update at lunch. But she seems to try more at school and yes, I am glad to not have to figure out lunch for her. I'm paying for the meals anyway with tuition, so it seems like a waste to send an alternate lunch unless she had severe allergies; she has a classmate with allergies to at least 10 different foods who does not eat any school food. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617478 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:29:08 +0000 PinkElephant 2617478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@muffinsmuffins: That's awesome! Definitely gives me hope for some adventurous eating opportunities (well, as adventurous as you can get on an early childhood menu!)</p> <p>@avivoca: Are you pretty happy with the meal selection in general, or just happy not to pack the lunch? :) I feel like our menu has an awful lot of the same thing (variations on baked chicken tenders, mac n cheese) - but to be fair, if I packed, she'd be getting a lot of the same sandwiches, cold cuts, string cheese, etc. too! I'd DEFINITELY be happy not to have to pack lunch every morning, then do it all over again at lunchtime for my 2 year old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617471 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 20:13:06 +0000 avivoca 2617471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never send home food unless it's a special day like her birthday. Once she's in K-12, I plan on paying for school lunch just to cut down on my morning prep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617459 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:47:24 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2617459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS can have snack items like pouches or granola bars on hand just in case and we don't have the option to send our own lunch, but he apparently eats way way better there than at home. Even with things I know he wouldn't eat at home! The second week they said 'oh he loves beef stew!' And I looked at his teacher like she was insane. Just last week she said he loved whatever sandwiches and ate three at lunch! Again, I'm pretty sure I've never seen him eat more than half a sandwich at home. I would just do the lunch they serve, maybe keep a pouch or two in her cubby for emergencies and she'll probably surprise you with what she tries with the other kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617455 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:37:10 +0000 winniebee 2617455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: I would never send it with my younger. He could just eat sides or the bread or something. I bet he would eat if she knows there's nothing else comings! My older is just picky about textures etc and I think he would rather starve than try something he didn't like! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617454 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:36:53 +0000 PinkElephant 2617454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: This is what I'm hoping! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617453 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:36:29 +0000 PinkElephant 2617453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Thank you! We are actually required to send morning snack, so I figure I'll send something she'll eat then that packs a little more weight (mixed cup of fruit and cheese, for example, rather than goldfish). The school provides afternoon snack; I'm not sure yet what that will be (crackers or "real food"). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617452 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:36:16 +0000 yoursilverlining 2617452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never send a lunch and my LO always eats at least some of what is served, even if she wouldn't eat that item at home. Peer pressure can be a positive thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617450 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:34:21 +0000 PinkElephant 2617450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: Thanks! For your younger son, would you just send him without it across the board, every day? I kind of feel like that might be the easiest way to go (that way she never thinks it's an option).....I can always back track later if a ton of other kids are bringing food and she's jealous! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617449 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:34:15 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2617449@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't send anything for my daughter. For a while we were sending a snack to go with lunch that we were sure my picky 3 year old would eat, because he was waking up screaming after his nap and we thought he might be hungry. We did that for a few weeks and then phased it out when he switched classes and he has been fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617445 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:31:28 +0000 winniebee 2617445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For my older son I would send a small lunch with him every day. Something like a sandwich or yogurt. And then hope he would eat some of what school serves. My younger has a wider palate so I would probably send him without home lunch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-preschool-serves-lunch#post-2617443 Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:28:38 +0000 PinkElephant 2617443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If your child's preschool serves lunch but allows outside food, how do you decide whether or not to send a lunch with LO?</p> <p>Our new PKA (preK) program provides lunch each day, but supplemental food is allowed. I'm torn between just </p> <p>- Never send a lunch (to encourage DD to try whatever is being offered), and assume she can make do with the sides/snacks if she really doesn't like the main</p> <p>- Always send a lunch, and know that some of her lunch as well as the some food I send, is regularly getting wasted</p> <p>- Pick and choose which days to send a lunch based on what I REALLY think she won't eat. In this case, I could opt to include her in the choice or not - the problem is, it's not like she knows what some of the choices are - ie a fish and cheese sandwich is not something she is familiar with, nor can I give her details of what kind of chicken dumpling are being offered (Chinese, or Southern)...so I feel like this could get really complicated!</p> <p>Regardless of what I do, she will be offered the school lunch - it's just a matter of what I do about sending an extra lunch.</p> <p>Curious about what others have done - thanks in advance! </p>