Guest Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 As from September we have decided to introduce a snack bar for the children and to ask parents to provide their own child with a healthy snack. Does anybody have any information regarding what snacks parents should or should'nt provide and do you ask parents to provide a container with the child's name on with their snack inside. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 we do a 2.5 hour preschool session. parents bring a piece of fruit everyday which is shared between all the children. the children help prepare the fruit and then the snack bar is open. we only offer fruit and water. when we have a birthday we ask the parent to bring in special fruit. we do also have different foods for example the children made sandwiches to take on their teddy bears picnic. hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Hi - we do the same as Wendles, but we have recently introduced vegetables as well - any veg you can think of and children love it especially cherry tomatoes and cucumber - we do have choc bisq when it is someone's birthday - children learn that bisq are fine to have now and then and are a treat not an every day food....................i try to tell myself this as well Dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 children learn that bisq are fine to have now and then and are a treat not an every day food....................i try to tell myself this as well Dot Nice one dot!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelllps Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Just a comment, but we usually have some form of carbohydrate such as naan, pitta, crumpets, couscous or rice along with fresh, tinned or dried fruit and/or fresh vegetables. Our sessions are 3 hours long and we find the children get quite hungry half way through! Rachel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 we have asked parents to donate fruit, veg etc, but only seem to have the two same parents always donating, which doesn't seem far, perhaps if i stipulate it in the new prospectus all parent shoud provide a snack. We are deciding to allow the children to help themselves to thier own during the morning, but we don't want to many staff supervising or pin pointed to the same spot for three quarters of an hour preparing it, thats why we thought parents could provide a small tub with it in, of cause we can ask parents during certain weeks to add something different into it i.e chappati, nan bread etc so children have a differnt variety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 We ask parents to provide their own healthy snack for their child. The children come in and find their name on the snack board and put it in the 'I have brought my snack today' part of the board and put their snack in a cool bag. We ask parents to label the snacks and have spare labels by the cool bag. Bananas are one of the best as you can write their name on the skin! During the morning the children come and find their name and put it in a tub and sit and have their snack and drink. If children forget their snack we have spare snacks such as raisins that the children can have with their parents permission. It works really well but it does tie a member of staff down as some of the children are very young and need help but the older children are independent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 we ask parents for one piece of fruit/vegetanle each week - then share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 We ask for one piece of fruit/veg per week and this goes into the fruit basket and shared a snack time (rolling snack bar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 We have list of suggested items and parents take turns to supply them each week.. usually overrun with food, we have made soups, fruit salads, fruit juices from what is brought in we also have some form of carbohydrate.. some children reeally do not like fruit, and others have no breakfast, and we feel a balance is needed also have cake or biscuits for birthdays etc Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublinbay Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 As we are on primary school grounds we are included in the free fruit scheme. Children are allowed 2 pieces of fruit (or veg) and 1 biscuit. We also have bread sticks, naan, ricecakes, toast & crackers (not all at the same time mind ) Parents don't provide anything except if their child has certain dietary requirements. Milk and water as drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 we ask parents for one piece of fruit/vegetanle each week - then share Must be a big piece of fruit Hali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cally Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 What happens when a child has food allergies? Do you ask parents to provide a suitable snack, or do yougive them something different, or do you expect all the children to eat what the allergy sufferer has to have? Bit of confusion as other places I know do all sorts of different things. Cally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 At our setting each child has to bring a piece of fruit every day and the staff. We all sit down to eat together. If we know a child has a food allergy then there fruit would be kept separate but as of yet all allergies are dairy, chocolate or blackcurrant. We tend to find as we share all the fruit out, all the children then take 5 pieces, then 4 etc etc that they try different fruits and one very fussy boy (who at age 3 still his banana mushed at home) has now decided he loves raisins and dried apricots. It works really well as hopefully the fruit the parent provides is something they know their child will eat. We have occasional biscuits, toast and parents bring in cakes for birthdays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel10 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 we get our local green grocer to deliver a box of seasonal fruit / veg each week. It costs around £10 - £11 (30 children a day). I buy extra rice cakes / breadsticks from the supermarket. The children really enjoy the fruit and it is popular. I hadn't thought of asking the parents to bring a piece of fruit in each week. I will suggest this at the next committee meeting. Thanks for the idea. Anything to save costs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 oww it is Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublinbay Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 What happens when a child has food allergies? Do you ask parents to provide a suitable snack, or do yougive them something different, or do you expect all the children to eat what the allergy sufferer has to have? Bit of confusion as other places I know do all sorts of different things. Cally We have 2 children with dairy intolerances who bring their own food. They can eat tesco value rich tea biscuits so that is a help. They provide their own margarine for cooking/spreading and own chocolates for birthday celebrations. Works very well, no one misses out and everyone stays healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 as it is monitored by staff they are able to guide and help children with choices allowing those with an allergy to feel part of the group.. we have had dairy.. when a parent brought in and spread , some fruit ones, but we keep them in separate bowls so no contamination and we help child to learn what they can eat , what not and why.. current one is a nut allergy.. but that is a severe reaction (Epipen ) so at moment nuts are totally banned (they are usually avouided anyway) and all labels read well.. child is beginning to understand and know that there are some things he cannot eat... really hard when its birthday and cake is provided.. If we know we will make a cake ourselves or ask mum to send something in for snack which is suitable. It just meant you have to be very aware and monitor and adapt as needed. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathrich Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 My Early Years Advisory teacher suggested that we wrote to the local supermarkets and ask them if they would donate fruit and other snack items....haven't done it yet but going to give it a go. We have a snack bar system and offer a variety of different fruit/veg and cracker/toast/crumpet every week. At the moment I provide this myself. Cath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 thank you all for your wonderful suggestions, I will be reinforcing a snack bar as from September, getting the parents to supply their own child with a snack box which is a great idea and also having bags available, this will put less expenses on our budget each day. Our morning session opens at 9.15am till 11.45am, what time would be the best time to open the snack bar and how long do you keep it open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 same hours as you and ours is generally 10 to 11- but does depend on the children.. we do have some who ask for it earlier in which case we open it sooner. Closes usually when everyone has eaten... or given a chance to.. some don't want to eat during the morning, we give them the option as to if they want it or not.. water is always available Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelllps Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Our snack is provided by a parent rota system, we ask each parent approx once per half term to provide two pieces of fruit and one carbohydrate, no one has ever refused By the end of the half term, we have so much that the children could be sitting there till lunch time if we let them and we always offer leftover things back to the parent, most tell us to keep it. At the moment we only have dairy intolerances, so petty cash buys a dairy free spread which we use for all the children on crackers etc and the parent supplies alternative milk. Any cooking activities if that child is in I use a recipe that I asked the parent for for dairy free chocolate cupcakes. yummy Sorry I should have added all this to my previous post! Rachel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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