FAQ: Daycare Food, Added Sugar, Meal Time Limits

Welcome to YTF Community, a place to safely share in the challenges and joys of feeding our families.

This week we have three questions that cover a mix of common issues to help provide you with practical information you can put into action and also, more generally, to help calm anxiety about feeding kids. From daycare lunches and what the heck is the deal with added sugar, to what to do when kids eat too fast…or too darn slow.

ALSO: Anyone who comments on a YTF Community post this month will be entered into a giveaway to win a $150 gift card to Target. The only thing you need to do is post a comment on a Community post, and you can comment more than once to add entries!

To help answer this question and to offer some general lunch reassurance to all of us, no matter the age of our kids, I asked Megan McNamee MPH, RDN, author of the forthcoming book ​Feeding Littles Lunches​. It’s full of easy lunch inspiration for kids ages 18 months through 18 years and beyond—no complicated assembly required.

“I’m happy that eating is going so well for your baby! Here’s the good news: Young children tend to eat even better when they’re around their peers,” Meghan says. “Once they’re in the toddler room, they usually sit at a small table to eat, and this gives them an opportunity to imitate more advanced skills and try new foods. Many parents are shocked by what their child will eat at daycare that they won’t touch at home,” she continues.

I have found this to be true with my kids, both at daycare and also with school lunch in elementary school. They have learned they like foods ranging from stuffed shells and Sloppy Joes, to rice cakes, edamame beans, and tomato soup. Can I always recreate the recipes or intake at home? Nope! But knowing they are being exposed to other foods at school—even if it’s just sitting next to another child eating a different food—is a wonderful thing in the big picture.

Meghan also recommends that we talk to our teachers about our concerns, and also, to remember that it actually may turn out much better than you expect—especially if you allow for a transition period as some kids do take some time to settle into the new routine.

Here are some questions you could ask a teacher for a child of any age. (And yes, I say this FULLY knowing that teachers are all overworked and underpaid, but the point is to simply communicate with them since we’re on the same team!)

• “If a child isn’t eating, how do you usually handle it?”
• “I’m a little worried about this transition and how my child will eat. Is there anything I can do or send to make the transition easier?”
• “How do kids do with this transition typically?”

One thing I try to remember during any period of transition is that how quickly a child adjusts can vary. Which means there might be a few days when they eat less than usual, or you realize they need more food in their lunchbox, or some other thing. This is normal. This is okay. This is all part of the process and it’s okay if we simply stay curious and adjust as needed.

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