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You should always seek medical advice from a physician or other qualified health provider for any questions pertaining to nutrition. Any information found in this post, on this blog, and shared on any resources created by Mom Wife and Everyday Life is based on my personal experience as a mom and should not be taken as professional advice. The contents of this website are for general informational purposes. I am not a certified nutritionist. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.
Food Storage
Before you even start thinking about what food you will be packing you need to know what your food storage situation will be. For example, my daughter has a mini-fridge in her classroom where food, drinks, or bottles can be stored.
We do not need to worry about food staying cool in her diaper bag or a lunch box. We live 5 minutes from our daycare, so the food makes it there just fine and goes straight into the fridge.
Learn about your daycare’s food storage situation. This could affect your packing strategy.
Daycare Provided Food
Some daycares provide food. Others do not. If your daycare is associated with a school they may have a cafeteria and weekly lunch schedule too.
Every daycare is different and every food situation will be different.
For now, we are going to focus primarily on lunch packing.
What about breakfast and snacks?
Our daughter eats breakfast at home or skips it completely. She typically wakes up at 8 am and her morning snack at daycare happens at 9 am so that is her breakfast. We are not a family who gets to daycare at 7 am.
Our daycare provides snacks in the cost of tuition.
What I pack each day for my daughter includes three water cups and her lunch. The daycare provides her morning and afternoon snacks. That’s all she needs throughout the day.
Accessories
Do you need to pack any mealtime accessories such as bibs, utensils, or plates? The needs vary depending on your child’s age and eating abilities. Know what your daycare provides and what they expect you to supply.
Anything you take to daycare that you want to get back should be labeled with your child’s name. You can’t expect the caregivers to worry about which items belong to which family. Their focus is caring for your child, not your stuff.
Containers
I start meal prep with the containers. I have 5 identical contain that easily stack together while stored in the cupboard and then can stack nicely in the fridge once filled.
Label each container with your child’s name and the date. Doing this all at once is a time saver rather than doing so every morning.
Different daycares will have different policies. If your child’s food comes packed in a lunch box that is labeled with their name you may not need to label individual food containers. For my daughter’s situation we label her specific food containers because they sit in the mini-fridge mixed in with other kids’ food.
This may be weird, but I use plastic containers that previously had deli meat in them. Maybe this is strange, but I enjoy reusing items. This was also a way to save money by not purchasing lunch containers.
If you prefer to have nicer containers you can find them anywhere in any style. For the minimalist I would recommend getting two containers at the minimum. This way while one is being washed the other can be packed for the next day. In the case one gets left at daycare you will have a backup option too.
Your choice in container can depend on the storage options. You may need something that can stay cool with an ice block in a lunch bag or cooler. Before purchasing containers find out what will work best in your situation. Ask the daycare or child care providers when you enroll or take a tour.
Food Prep
The key to a successful week of lunch packing is to partially pack containers on Sunday night.
For example, if I make mac’n’cheese I will put that in the containers for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This way my daughter has some variety.
The key here is the prep work. The more you can pack on a Sunday night the better off you will be during the week.
Some foods are still packed each morning. For example, fruits that I cut, such as grapes or strawberries. They don’t look appealing if you cut them ahead of time.
The night before, we get the drinks ready and load them in the diaper bag. Our daughter is used to drinking water at room temperature so it isn’t an issue. We do not pack milk or juice for daycare.
Her cups also need to be labeled.
During the week we may add leftovers to the lunch containers. If they are appropriate for daycare. Anytime you have food available throw it in a lunch container.
If Tuesday night our daughter is eating deli meat with her dinner I will take the time to add it to her Thursday lunch container. When you already have something out and open make the best use of your time.
Last night my daughter didn’t finish her cheese quesadilla. The first half she ate, but the second half she didn’t even touch. I threw this in a container for later in the week.
Any way you can get those lunch bins packed will be helpful the next morning.
Actual 5 Meals for the week
Monday
- Mac’n’cheese (Vegan)
- Sausage
- Green Grapes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes (Vegan)
Tuesday
- ½ Banana
- Shredded Cheese (Vegan)
- Hot Dog
- Fig Newton’s
Wednesday
- Mac’n’cheese (Vegan)
- Green Grapes
- Deli Meat – Ham
- Graham Crackers
Thursday
- Sausage
- Sweet Potato Pancake (Vegan)
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Mini Marshmallows
Friday
- Mac’n’cheese (Vegan)
- Green Grapes
- Deli Meat – Chicken Breasts
- Cauliflower Puffs
Another week
Monday
- Mac’n’cheese (Vegan)
- Deli Meat – Ham
- Peas
Tuesday
- Shredded Cheese (Vegan)
- Deli Meat – Chicken Breast
- Peas
- Granola Bar
Wednesday
- Mac’n’cheese (Vegan)
- Hard Salami
- Strawberries
Thursday
- Rice
- Peas
- Strawberries
- Sausage
Friday
- Cheese Quesadilla (Vegan)
- Hard Salami
- Peas
- Mini Marshmallows
Food Restrictions Meals
We are not by any means vegan. We definitely eat meat. However, our daughter is allergic to eggs and dairy so vegan options are very helpful in packing her meals. If you can relate or have an allergy concerns click to read How to Figure Out if my Baby has Allergies.
Anything you see above that would typically include eggs or dairy is a vegan recipe.
Our daycare is also a peanut-free facility so we avoid nuts in general.
Portion Sizes
Your baby or child’s appetite will fluctuate at times. Some daycares may send the leftovers home with you. Use this to help gauge how much you should be packing.
Our daycare is not allowed to send leftovers home. They must be thrown out. However, our daycare sends a daily report which states how much of the meal was eaten and what foods specifically were not eaten.
Talk to your daycare provider and check in if they think your child needs more or less food packed for them daily.
There are certain times where your child’s appetite may change. If you child is starting to get sick, received vaccinations, is going through a growth spurt, or is attending daycare for the first time. These weeks are not ones to go by.
General Advice
When it comes to packing meals, snacks, or anything to take to daycare getting prepared the night before or even at the beginning of the week if possible.
Every morning you will thank yourself that you were able to quickly and easily get out of the house in the morning.
You honestly don’t know what your morning will look like. Something can go wrong. Your baby may sleep in later or wake up earlier than what you are used to. Traffic could be heavy or weather could make for a worse drive.
Another great tip is to keep a running list of meal ideas. You could break it down by week or even food category. Such as proteins, carbs, fruits, vegetables, etc.
Some days you won’t feel inspired and this list could save you.
Conclusion
I hope this gives you ideas on what to pack or how to make packing your child’s lunch easier.
Find a system and implement it.
Routine makes any task easier.
What are some of your go-to foods to pack for a toddler?
Comment below!
Check Out My Articles
The Top 7 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Daycare for Your Child
Gently Encourage Your 18 Month Old to Tackle These Milestones
10 Warning Signs to Watch for Before Selecting a Daycare
What a Typical Full Day of Eating Looks Like for My Sweet 18 Month Old