Classroom snack - gets expensive/wasteful

[velochic]

At dd's school, each family is responsible for snacks for two or three weeks of the year.

Dd is sensitive to food dyes and preservatives and we eat only all-natural foods, so I send a snack for her every day. However, I still have to send in snacks for the class as a whole this next week and following.

If I send in all-natural snacks for all the kids (20), it will get quite expensive (more than $100/week). Most of the parents send crap food for the snacks (which is why I send a snack with dd every day in the first place!!), and actually, many of the kids may not even eat the healthy, wholesome food I would send.

It seems rude to send in crappy food for the rest of the kids and give "the good stuff" to my own dd, but I also don't want to send in healthy food that the kids will A). Not eat and B). Not appreciate.

Furthermore... most parents send in these individual packets of food and I have a hard time thinking of all of that plastic waste.

My gut feeling is to just send in the healthy snacks, but I'm afraid that the kids won't eat the food I paid (a lot of money) for and that they'll end up eating the supply of teddy sugar crackers and vanilla wafers the teacher has stashed.

Is there a compromise in this situation?

[Poddi]

We do that, too and I always send in something that's popular kids food yet not too unhealthy. Last time I sent unsweetened apple sauce and some multigrain mini bagels. I'm sure most of those got eaten. Talk to the teachers about it. I'm sure there are many options that are healthy and yummy at the same time.

[mum4boys]

I teach 3 year old sunday school and the mistake I see a lot of parents making the mistake of when sending in a healthy snack they just send in fruit or veggies. Boy the kids complain and there is uprising. Plus it does not fill the kids up. Ideally I like to see, a veggie or fruit, a little protien and a complex carbohydrates. So peanut butter, carrot sticks and a cracker is a good choice for us (as long as there are no peanut allergies) or celery cream cheese and multi grain bagel, etc.

For my kids choir class, a parent made up a cheese and veggie platter. There are 35 kids to feed.

[velochic]

Here are some examples of what I usually send in with dd:

Horizon's Organic yogurt
Organic Whole grain crackers and cheese
Organic Whole grain muffins
TJ's Dried strawberries
TJ's popcorn
Organic carrots and dip

The food I send in *for the whole class* cannot be homemade, except for cut veggies and fruit (no homemade grains).

I believe I average about $1 per day for dd. If I send in 20 times plus a little extra for hungry kids then it will be about $120/week.

I am actually a room parent and I have the guidelines for snacks. That's why I send in a separate snack for dd. We don't eat what the guidelines say: processed meats, cheeses, white breads, sugary cereals and crackers, etc.

[zersha]

Can you talk to the teacher? It really doesn't seem fair that you have to bring a class snack at all, since your dd doesn't eat the other class snacks. There should be an option to 'opt out', IMO. I know we couldn't afford to send our kids snacks everyday, plus send snacks for everyone for 2-3 weeks on top of it.

Otherwise, I think I would send in 'normal' snacks for everyone else, and the healthy snack for your dd. Not to be mean, but just because of the expense, and I think there probably would be alot of waste. Some kids would probably try the new foods and like them, but alot wouldn't either. Once my dd's friend was here and absolutely hated our whole wheat pizza, even though we all love it. She was used to a lot of boxed, processed foods.

$120/wk is just too much, unless you have lots of money and it won't cause any problems.

[thriftyqueen]

I personally wouldn't spend the money to send in organic food for all the kids. How about peanut butter and crackers, applesauce, non organic yogurt, fruit or veggies, rice cakes with cream cheese, carrots and ranch, cheese and crackers, apples and peanut butter. I am just thinking of what the kids eat at the preschool my son went to last year and that I sub at sometimes. Most of the kids are picky and you are going to find that you will spend a lot of money on food that is going to get thrown away.

You could maybe talk to the teacher and see what the kids generally like. Buy those things and still send you daughter her snack. It doesn't make sense for you to spend money on stuff that the other kids won't like anyway. Just get a list of what they like or what most parents bring and bring those things. Explain to the teacher that you will still bring your daughter's normal snack, but that you want to make sure the bring things the other kids are sure to eat.

My ds's current school has the parents send a snack for their own child everyday. I really like that because you don't have to worry about what they are eating or the waste from the kids not liking something. I would be frustrated in your situation too. You want to give them something good for them, but it is so expensive for all those kids.

[Purple*Lotus]

When I was student teaching Kindergarten most of the food was wasted, even the processed, junky, supposedly "kid's favorites" kind of snacks. It seemed that only a few of the kids actually ate their snacks at all, so it always seemed so wasteful to me.

I do not feel that you should have to send snacks for the whole class if your daughter brings her own every day. That might seem rude, but in my opinion it is unfair for you to provide for everyone when your daughter does not eat the other kid's brought from home snacks.

[Nature]

120 is almost my food budget for the month! There is no way I would be able to afford that for the entire class. Yikes!

[Boobiemama]

I'd talk to the teacher about it. My daughter is responsible for snack about 1x a month. I try to be different and send something better than a box of cookies. I was shocked when she told me they have chocolate for snack one day!

[elizabeth rose]

This may not be helpful, but since your DD is not eating the class snack, why should you be responsible for providing it?

How abt organic apples and cheese sticks?

[Emmeline II]

I would protest the "class snack" altogether:. Children are picky. People in general have their own tastes. Have class guidelines perhaps, to prevent some children having candy as a snack, but otherwise a child's snack should be between parent and child.

[velochic]

Boy, I agree with all of you. I don't mind bringing in the snack. I choose to send in a "healthier" snack for dd. Nobody forces me to.

However, if all of the other parents were willing to send in wholesome snacks, then I wouldn't have to send in snack for dd every day. I feel that sending in an organic/all-natural/whole-grain snack will be lost on these kids anyway, so why put out the extra bucks, YK?

The big question I suppose I have is: Do I send in the foods the rest of the parents send in and still send in an all-natural snack for dd? It seems rude to me. However, no matter who is "buying", dd is still going to get "the good stuff".

I'm probably over analyzing this! :

This is for 10 days, btw. So I need something different for 5 days X 2. Fruit, veggies, yogurt (non-organic, but organic for dd????), cheese... Peanut Butter is off the list (allergies). I am NOT bringing in Fruit Loops!! (on the list, however)

[Ecstatic]

I think you should send in whatever the other parents do, and still give you dd her own snack. I don't think you need to provide organic, natural snacks for these kids if the other parents won't do it. And since you always give your dd her own snack, it won't look odd.

[Purple*Lotus]

I would send in the cheap stuff the other parents send and send your daughter with what you normally do. I would not overanalyze it. When I was teaching so many parents skipped out on their snack days that we had to keep extras anyhow

[mamamilkers]

A couple of thoughts: one is that if I were you, I would approach the teacher and get a better set of guidelines created for the snacks. It is incomprehensible to me that things like Fruit Loops are allowed in a child's classroom! Also, when you bring snacks, definitely do something healthy, but I wouldn't worry as much about it being organic. Organic cheese and crackers is crazy spendy. Perhaps twice as much as the conventional alternative.

Some other thoughts: rice cakes and sunflower seed butter with raisins. Or celery with sunflower seed butter and raisins. Mandarin oranges. Pretzel sticks. Veggie booty.

I don't think you should protest bringing in snacks for the group, however. I find it awesome that you're setting such a great example for everyone!

[loitering]

I like to send baked goods to ds's daycare occassionally, and the parents there aren't picky about organic/sugar/etc. So I try out recipes from Deceptively Delicious - like yesterday, I sent applesauce muffins with a streudal topping, and the muffins had carrot purree in them. The kids loved them, and I liked that they had an extra bit of vegetable

[CarrieMF]

I would approach the teacher and get a better set of guidelines created for the snacks

I agree.

The playschools here have 1 rule, there must be at least 2 foods from 2 different food groups. 1 may be the 100% juice that is sent.(juice mixes, juice flavoured waters are not allowed, it must be 100% juice). We could take baked goods which obviously makes things easier.

things that went over well at the school:

fruit, especially strawberries & grapes
apples(just don't buy granny smith & then coat them in lemon juice like I did,lol)
mini muffins(would have to buy those)
meat/cheese/crackers/pickles
veggies
yogurt, the 2 coloured yogurt while not the best do go over well.
christmas oranges
pretzels were a huge hit, especially the alphabet shaped ones
rice krispie cake again not idea, especially since it'd have to be store bought but it's cheap.
pudding/jello
pita bread/pizza sticks with sauce

If the kids are not eating the fruits & veggies cut up, put them on mini kabob sticks, they'll eat them then.lol

I would NOT send in organic foods, especially if the parents are bringing froot loops but I would send in healthier options.

There were 22 kids in my dd's class last year & all the above stuff went over really really well. Parents usually brought in 3 or 4 different things + the juice. There were 2 kids who did bring in their own snack due to severe epi-pen requiring allergies. Their parents were still required to bring in snack for the class, but the kids only went 2 times a week & over the year we brought snack maybe 4 times. There were a couple of kids who had minor allergies & parents were mindful of them. It is a no-nuts school too.

[~Megan~]

This is one reason I'm so glad dd got the teacher she did. One teacher had group snacks and one had individual snacks. The one that has kids bring their own said its so much easier with allergies and parent food choices for kids to bring their own. I agree!

Food for all the kids for two weeks!? That's a big hit to the budget.


ETA: I do agree that you shouldn't worry about organic foods for the kids. Try to find something healthy like a whole wheat cracker with some cheese slices.

Check out your warehouse stores for good prices or a dented can type place. We love our grocery outlet as they have around half an aisle all of organic foods. You never know what you will find! This time it was organic soy pudding, Clifford Organic Cereal, Organic toothpaste, and Odwalla Smoothie.

[Mom2Joseph]

I would take something healthy, but not organic and what happens after that is out of your hands. If they eat it, great, if not, oh well.

I send my DS"s snack every day too as he has too many food allergies and it's just easier to send. When it is our turn to make snacks I make a "banana cake" and let it go at that. It isn't any worse than prepackaged food and the kids usually love it becuase it's "cake" (it's really more like a banana bread baked in a 9 x 13 pan - it's also so cheap to make!)

If fruit is needed I send unsweetened applesauce, mandarin oranges or bananas.

I'm happy to take our turn with the snack even though DS doesnt' eat the normal snack every day because we like to participate. No need to exclude ourselves and some of the kids now love our "healthy snacks" and the parents love us for it!

[TattooedMama]

Oh I hear ya velochic. I had the same issues earlier in the year when it was our turn to do snacks for 2 weeks. My complaint is that no homemade baked goods are allowed (so Little Debbie is OK, Deceptively Delicious is not ) and they have to be prepackaged items. So Trix flavored Go-Gurt is OK, my 36 oz Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt, NOT OK.
Again insert eyeroll here _________
And this is a Montessori school that is WAY into recycling, green living etc.
The waste of all the packaging and the COST of the prepackaged stuff is ASTRONOMICAL. It drives me NUTS.
Sorry to derail your thread. To answer your question though,
How are you sure that the other children won't eat the healthy snacks like you prepare for your DD? I think your school (and MINE) needs a REVOLUTION! Do you have a parent group, PTA, or can you talk to the principal about overhauling the snack guidelines? If not, then YES I would send a moderately healthy choice for the class and something different for DD if that is not up to your standards. I wouldn't go out of my way to pick crap, or something that I am really morally opposed too... but you KWIM.
Good luck,
TM