Hey girl, want to freshen up your daycare lunch menu? These are the best healthy daycare lunch ideas that your daycare kiddos will actually eat.
Trying to come up with healthy daycare lunch ideas that you can easily make and your daycare kiddos will gobble up can be hard.
As a home daycare provider for the last 8 years and a mom of 4, I am giving you the top daycare lunch ideas that are a hit with all my kids.
You are going to learn about what you all need to include daily for the kids and lots of great ideas so the kids don’t get bored.
After hearing about all these amazing daycare lunch ideas, you will be able to build a daycare lunch menu that you know will work.
Let's get started on the best daycare lunch ideas your kids will want to eat.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my full disclosure.
Best Daycare Lunch Ideas
Hey there daycare mama, I see you. I see you wearing 20+ different hats to try and help out your daycare kids. You are doing an amazing job!
While you are busy helping with all those other daycare things, you shouldn’t have to worry about what you are going to make those kiddos for lunch.
Below are so many great options you can choose from that I have tested and tested over the last 8 years. That is a lot of lunches. About 2080 of them, I did the math.
Kitchen Supplies
1. Kids Plates and Kids Bowls
Get multiple sets of these kids' plates and kids' bowls.
They are dynamite and stand the test of time. Best of all, you can put them in the dishwasher!
2. Kids Cups
Are you ready for this fun fact? These kids cups have lasted me for 12 years now and girl, they don't even look like they have been used!
And don't forget about the non-spill sippy cups for your toddlers who aren't ready for a big cup yet. These are my favorite ones.
3. KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Girl, if you don't have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, you absolutely NEED one!
Mine is used multiple times a week and it isn't just for baking!
This baby is going to save you so much time!
4. Jelly Roll Pan
Do you have a jelly roll pan in your kitchen? How about 2 of them?
Honestly, I use jelly roll pans all of the time because they are so great for making food for a crowd!
Can you tell how scratched up mine is?
Yes, you should have 2 of them.
Lunch Tips
1. Helping in the Kitchen
All kids want to be helpers and they are willing to help you if you let them.
This is also a great way to teach them about setting the table.
2. Meal Prep
Take some time to prep for lunches as much as you can on the weekends or in the evenings.
This can include cooking meat or cutting up fruit and vegetables. Every little bit will help you!
I know this is still taking up your time, however, it will make your lunch prep time seem like less of a mad dash!
3. Make Meals Easy
If your daycare is anything like mine, you are BUSY!!! You don't have a lot of extra time to think about and prepare meals.
So, make it easy!!! Easy meals = easy prep time.
Some of the ideas below can easily be prepared the night before (or during nap time) and placed in the fridge so the next day you only have to pop it in the oven.
Your daycare kids don’t care how much time you spend on making food for them, they really want to spend more time with you.
4. There will be Waste
This really isn't a tip but it is something you have to come to terms with - there will be waste.
Oh, you guys! This one is so hard for me.
Growing up, I came from a house where you ate all the food you were served. So, it pains me just about every day to have to throw food away that my daycare kids won’t or don’t eat.
I do try and combat this by giving the kids options.
For example, have 2 kinds of vegetables out and they need to take at least one of them.
You can also help this out by giving the kids some dip. One of the fan favorites of dip around here is ketchup. Not for me, but the kids sure eat way more food with it.
Other dips include fruit dip, ranch dressing, and hummus.
Daycare Lunch Ideas Menu
After reading through all the great daycare lunch ideas below, you should set up a daycare lunch menu. You will not regret this one teeny tiny bit.
Believe me, your days and weeks will be so much easier when you know what you are serving to eat.
I went with a 6-week rotation for a menu.
You can print off blank calendars like I did to fill in your menu on. I found them on google images. Ours goes right on the fridge.
The kids that can read love sharing with the younger kids what is on the menu for the day. I love it when all the kids get super excited about what is for lunch. They actually cheer
.
If there was something that the kids didn't like, I will cross it out and find something to take its place.
Our menu looks different in the summer compared to the winter. No one wants to eat a steaming bowl of soup on a hot summer day.
I also have a meal plan for my own family meals. It is so helpful when it comes time to go grocery shopping.
Daycare Lunch Ideas
What You Need To Have Daily
It is so important to teach kids to choose from and eat healthy options. So, can you guess what you need to offer them? Yep, healthy options!
With every lunch, you need to have fruit and vegetables. I found the kids want to eat more fruits and vegetables if they have more than one option to choose from.
And they may go over even better with a healthy dip.
Also, try preparing them in many different ways. Plain, cooked, in with other food, or with different seasonings. You won’t know what will be a hit.
One of my boys doesn’t like apples plain but loves them with peanut butter.
The other thing I was told when I first started daycare was to eat what the kids are eating. They are more likely to eat their food. Monkey see, monkey do and all.
You also need to provide milk and water. Skip the fruit juice, they can have that at home if the parents want.
Fruit Ideas
- Bananas
- Apples
- Applesauce
- Strawberry Applesauce
- Pears
- Peaches
- Plums
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Mandarins
- Grape Fruit
- Avocado
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew Melon
- Pineapple
- Kiwi
Vegetable Ideas
- Carrots
- Snap Peas
- Green Beans
- Bell Peppers – Green, Yellow, and Red
- Tomatoes
- Corn
- Peas
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Pumpkin
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Leafy Greens – believe it or not, I have a kiddo who goes crazy over these.
Daycare Lunch Ideas
Now for the main event, for lunch anyway.
Let’s get into what is on the main menu for your daycare lunches.
While these daycare lunch ideas are all great, you will always have that one kiddo that doesn’t seem to like something.
Go with the majority and fill up those tummies!
If you have any questions about what something is below or which recipe I use, leave it in the comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Breakfast for Lunch Ideas
- Egg Bake – Crescent rolls on the bottom, meat, cheese, eggs, and veggies if you want.
- Sausage Links, English Muffin, Fruit
- Bagels
- French Toast – If you make a huge batch, these freeze well.
- Pancakes – These also freeze well.
One tip I learned, put them on a pan in the freezer without stacking them for about an hour and then stack them up in a freezer container or bag. They won’t stick together this way.
Sandwiches and Wraps
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
- Deli Meat Sandwich
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Chicken Wrap – Chicken, cheese, and dip in a tortilla wrap.
- Meat and Cheese Wrap
- Chicken Patty with Bun
- Sub Sandwich
- Pizza Burgers
- Chicken Salad with bun
- Snick Snack – A snick snack lunch here means you are basically making your own “Lunchable”. Cut up meat and cheese, served with crackers, fruit, vegetables, and milk. This is one of the kids’ favorites.
Pasta
- Hamburger Helper – Hamburger Helper comes in a box and you add the meat. Try different meats to mix it up.
- Mac and Cheese
- Ravioli
- Spaghetti and meatballs
- Lasagna
- Baked Penne
- Tortellini and Meatballs
- Chicken Alfredo
Tex Mex
- Taco – Found it works easiest with soft tortilla shells.
- Quesadilla
- Enchiladas
Freezer Meals
- Fish – There are many different kinds of fish at the store: sticks, fillets, salmon, shrimp, and so on.
- Corn Dog
- Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken Strips
- Mozzarella Sticks
- Pizza – Choose a regular or thick crust, it will help fill up their tummies.
Comfort Food
- Mashed Potato Bowl – There are so many options with this. We like to do mashed potatoes, cut-up chicken nuggets, corn, and cheese.
- Hot Dog and Baked Beans
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Ham Steak and Potatoes
- Pork Loin
- Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Potpie
- Meatloaf
- Soup – This can be a tricky thing to put on the menu. I go for soups that are creamy or thicker so the little kiddos can eat them on their own.
It is usually paired with a sandwich, rolls, or biscuits of some kind. And I save the soups for cooler months.
Our favorite soups: Corn Chowder, Chili, and Baked Potato
This post was all about the best daycare lunch ideas.
If you have any amazing daycare lunch ideas that I missed, let me know. It is fun to add to and change up our daycare lunch menu.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for stopping by.