Menu Planning

[Mini-tots]

Does everyone plan a menu for the week or do you just cook a meal according to what ingredients you have.

If you plan a menu, did you seek any advise from anyone (i.e. nutritionist) or just plan healthy meals yourself?

Again if you plan a menu do you just plan a simple menu and come up with any alternate meals for special requirements or veggies etc or do you list on your menu a meal, a baby option and a veggie option etc??

[sweets]

i don't plan meals but as people on here know i don't plan anything! lol.
I might think at the beginning of the week of a couple of meals but it depends on the day wether i have time to cook it. Sometimes i do a hot meal for lunch and sometimes sandwiches.

[Ripeberry]

Problem is, if you only have one mindee or two, i would just base meals on what they enjoy the most, as long as there are vegetables and fruit and its all healthy then it's the best way as there won't be any wastage.
It must be harder if you have older kids 5yrs + who are ALWAYS starving :laughing:

[sweets]

Problem is, if you only have one mindee or two, i would just base meals on what they enjoy the most, as long as there are vegetables and fruit and its all healthy then it's the best way as there won't be any wastage.
It must be harder if you have older kids 5yrs + who are ALWAYS starving :laughing:

my just 2 year old mindee has just learnt the word starvin and has been saying it all day! lol. i think she was holding out for a biscuit but i was mean and was just giving her fruit.:laughing:

[LisaMcNally09]

My soon to be mindee is a very fussy eater!! His mum says he wont eat meat, fruit, veg, bread unless its toasted....................basically lives off potato shapes and yoghurt!! lol

We'll see about that!!:D

[Tatjana]

I don't plan meals as I might not feel like eating or cooking it on that particular day. I cook what i feel like on the day!

xx

[Dreean]

I like the idea of being more flexible like that! I thought you had to do meal planners, etc, so that is good news as it is not so much work!!

Would an ideas file with possible options (in case I get stuck for ideas) be worthwhile? Then I could show that to parents as examples of what might be offered.

[sweets]

I like the idea of being more flexible like that! I thought you had to do meal planners, etc, so that is good news as it is not so much work!!

Would an ideas file with possible options (in case I get stuck for ideas) be worthwhile? Then I could show that to parents as examples of what might be offered.

yes thats what i do, i show parents a sample menu of things we may have.
i always write in their daily diaries tho what we have had that day. quitw often mum will say 'oh thats what i was going to do for tea' mindees don't usually bother if they have the same meal twice in a day!lol

[It's a small world]

I have a 4 week menu that I rotate (these are displayed on our notice board for parents to view and those children who can read)but as I only have one mindee plus own 2 children (school holidays) I just make what they want. Although eldest son loves the menu I have made so usually make whats on there and he helps with desserts..
I try to plan healthy nutrious meals. I have a mixture of meals with meat and veggie options..No baby food yet as no babies to mind. But have said happy to provide baby food...

HTH

*Just noticed made 200 posts..only 100 more till I can become Green:clapping: :clapping:

[wendywu]

I have sample menus. But i often buy the special offers so it depends if the lobster or caviar is cheaper that week when i order my shopping:laughing:

[ZoeAlli]

I have a monthly menu, which I try to stick to although it doesn't always happen due to outings! I only have to provide two meals a week, so it's not that much of a task.

[Mini-tots]

I guess planning has it's pros and cons so I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a rough plan, or like someone said provide parents with a list of possibilities and then if you need to change it you can swap some days around.

Do many of you have children that stay for tea or is it mainly lunch?

Also what times do you usually do lunch and tea. Do you set the time in a rough routine (more like a nursery) or does it vary depending on what you're doing?

[wellybelly]

Does everyone plan a menu for the week or do you just cook a meal according to what ingredients you have.

If you plan a menu, did you seek any advise from anyone (i.e. nutritionist) or just plan healthy meals yourself?

Again if you plan a menu do you just plan a simple menu and come up with any alternate meals for special requirements or veggies etc or do you list on your menu a meal, a baby option and a veggie option etc??

A bit of both really - I normally plan meals when I go shopping. Then use the shopping list to plan the menu, type it up and display it. I do have a line at the bottom of the menu thats says subject to change. Then if the weathers hot and we fancy a salad with jacket spud and want to eat outdoors, theres always a biot of flexibility. My parents eem very happy with this arrangement.

[her8y]

I only provide lunch for my current mindees so I see what they fancy each day. I make sure there is a variety of healthy food options during the week.

I did use a weekly plan before but it all went a bit pear shaped when one day I cooked something different (due to time) and parent complained as I hadnt cooked mindees favourite meal!! Mindee didnt seem to mind tho:laughing:

Think I would now provide an example menu rather than a fixed one.