As a former daycare owner, I know firsthand how important weekly meal planning is as it sets the foundation for healthy eating habits. Weekly meal planning is essential to running a daycare because it ensures children get the nutrients they need to grow and develop. Additionally, meal planning ensures children get the vitamins and minerals they need to maintain good health. In this article, I will share my tips and strategies for creating a weekly meal plan that maximizes nutrition and minimizes stress for daycare providers.
Tips for Creating a Cost-Effective Weekly Meal Plan
Incorporating various foods into meal plans can help children develop a taste for different flavors and textures. This can help them develop a diverse palate and reduce the likelihood of picky eating habits in the future. Furthermore, meal planning can help create a positive and stress-free environment during mealtimes, which is crucial for promoting healthy eating habits. Creating a weekly meal plan can seem daunting, but it can be a breeze with the right strategies and tools. Here are some tips to help you create a successful weekly meal plan for your daycare:
- Create a rotating menu: Creating a rotating menu can save time and ensure that children get a variety of foods throughout the week. Consider rotating meals every four weeks to keep things fresh. These meals should be based on the USDA meal recommendations for children.
- Choose a shopping day and make a shopping list: When shopping, it’s essential to shop purposefully. This can be done by using the menu to make a shopping list. Before going shopping, check to see what is on sale, and depending on the grocery store’s weekly ad circulars, adjust your meal plan or shopping list.
- Incorporate Cost-effective Meals: Meal planning doesn’t always have to be expensive. To save money, buy in bulk, use seasonal produce, frozen fruits, and vegetables, and plan for leftovers to save time and money and reduce food waste.
- Implement weekly themes: Having a theme each week can be helpful. For example, Tuesday is tacos, Friday is pizza, etc. Keeping the focus narrow can help save time when planning weekly meals.
- Consider dietary restrictions: It’s important to consider any dietary restrictions or allergies children may have when creating a menu. This can ensure that all children can enjoy the meals provided.
- Get input from parents: Getting input from parents can help ensure that meal plans are well-received by children. Consider sending out surveys or holding meetings to get feedback.
- Creating a stress-free environment: Stressful mealtimes can lead to negative associations with food. Ensure children are relaxed and enjoy their food, encourage a conversation to create a positive and enjoyable experience, and avoid distractions such as TV and electronics to help children focus on their food.
Next Steps for Implementing a Successful Weekly Meal Plan in Daycare
Invest in a weekly calendar for menu planning. This is a dateless hanging wall calendar keeps track of breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack, and dinner for seven days of the week, allowing you to plan your meals well ahead of time, while maintaining accurate records to comply with the food program’s requirements.
If you enjoyed this article on Maximizing Nutrition and Minimizing Stress comment below. If you would like to connect, join me on Facebook: Childcare Daily with Charlie Nicole
