OT -packed lunch for an 8 month old?

[littlebit0863]

I figured some of you can help me. I have an 8 1/2 month old and have recently decided to switch her from my mom's house to daycare. (My mom takes care of my niece as well who is very demanding and I think it's too much for her.) I am getting my daycare things together, and one of the things I need is a packed lunch and snacks, as daycare doesn't do food for the infants. DS didn't start daycare til age 2, so I've never been in this situation. I'm ok on the snacks, but dd has always just eats what we're eating, or whatever my mom fixes for lunch. She does not care for babyfood at all. She drinks formula, and I figured I would pack the baby snacks (little puffs, things like that.) What for lunch? She always eats cooked food at home and that won't be an option for 4 more months there. They do have a microwave, but it seems silly to send her with a can of ravioli or something. Sandwiches don't make sense either. What would you pack? I asked the daycare director what the other babies her age bring, and she said mostly baby food (which is out), or those gerber graduate dinners, or sometimes kid cuisine meals.

Sorry if this seems like I'm rambling, and thanks!

 

[bankgirl05]

How about making up your own graduates style meals from your previous nights left overs? noodles, spaghetti, chopped up "whatever" meat you had.Steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, mac&cheese etc.

Those prepared meals are always so easy, but I always felt a little guilty because they are so high in sodium and various other things. I tried as often as I could to send them with "homecooked" but who am I kidding? busy working moms unite: sometimes easy is... well, just easier!!!!

I did rolled up cheese and lunch meats, but I think they were a little bit older.

Sometimes in a pinch, I would use canned soup in a bowl minus all of the broth. (but I always fridged the broth for later use in a casserole or to add to more soup later. My kids could "finger feed" themselves the noodles/veggies with out too much mess.

 

[maggs1035]

Be careful that the daycare workers don't over heat the food in the microwave. I've never heard of a center not feeding children? Don't they they get compensated by your state to be on a food program? I hope you pay considerable less for care! I agree with pp, I would always make sure you have leftovers, or take some weekend time to prepare the meals ahead of time!

 

[littlebit0863]

Be careful that the daycare workers don't over heat the food in the microwave. I've never heard of a center not feeding children? Don't they they get compensated by your state to be on a food program? I hope you pay considerable less for care! I agree with pp, I would always make sure you have leftovers, or take some weekend time to prepare the meals ahead of time!

Thanks, those are good suggestions. I never thought about leftovers. DH usually eats everything I fix, lol! Her daycare gives food to one and up but for the babies, the director said it's not worth it because so many parents are very picky about what their child eats, and would normally just send them with baby food anyway when they did serve the babies meals. The snacks are geared towards older children so she just decided parents are in charge of the food for the under ones. I think I am paying less for care, because it will be the same rate for the baby and my 3 year old, and other daycares I believe charge much higher for babies.

 

[hgeisler]

Applesauce or bananas with yogurt. My son loves that for any meal

 

[jennylyn_b]

Applesauce, Yogurt, Cheese sticks that you can cut up ahead of time and put in a baggy, cold cuts cut up, Ritz crackers, fruit cups (we do the no sugar added ones), tortilla cut up, baked sweet potato cut into small cubes, cheerios (not just for.bfast) , already cooked brown rice heated for a.few seconds, soups that can be.heated in the microwave for a.few seconds, hmmm that's all I've got right now. hth


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[OhanaBreadPudding]

I would keep trying with baby food. 8 1/2 months is pretty young to do a different variety of table foods. I would try every day to give her purees. Different flavors, etc. It's the best way to get her fruits and veggies.

At that age we would give my son baby food and then table food for practice. Things like cubed potatoes and fruits were a big hit! Canned peas too. They are nice and soft.

 

[jenlov]

My guess is that they don't provide it b/c most babies at that age are not eating real food yet? or at least only eating baby food. My 9mo is still EBF, so I'm just going to suggest some things I can remember feeding my last one when he was 1yo. Yogurt was his absolute FAVORITE food! that and bananas! We thought the child would be living off of yogurt forever! LOL! That's all he wanted, yogurt and bananas. But, yogurt was also easy to take with us. I'd just stick it in one of those things that keep bottles cold and add a disposable spoon. As for lunch, how about putting some of your dinner into a container for her every night before actually serving your meal? that way, it's already put away and your hubby or family won't be tempted to eat the extras? As for other stuff, cheerios, Gerber graduates, puff type snacks. I'd be leery of giving a baby that young cheese, even cut up. I can't imagine my 9mo being able to actually chew it? Granted, she just got her 1st tooth yesterday, lol. Fruit cups without sugar added? or make them yourself. I can't really think of any fresh fruit that is soft enough for a baby besides bananas, though. I think your options will depend more on how well she can chew. But, like you said, she eats what you prepare for dinner, so that might be your best option- setting aside some of your dinner for her every night.

 

[Elleshoodat]

We have to bring DS' lunch and snacks to daycare, too, so I don't find it very unusual.

As an infant, DS never took to baby food, so we fed him manageable solids: yogurt, small cubes of cheese, torn-up turkey slices, banana, mandarin orange slices, grapes cut in half, etc. He also ate the Gerber Graduates mini raviolis almost every day for lunch. Those wouldn't have been my first choice, but he couldn't get enough of them!

 

[jennylyn_b]

My DD wouldn't eat baby food by 8 months old and we started with soft table foods. The things I mentioned in my above post gave her no trouble. Now she is 21 months and eats a huge variety so don't worry about pushing baby food if she doesn't want to. Btw, noodles are good too!


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[Minnesota!]

My ODS started on table food at 6 months. His first item - french toast sticks! he loved them!

I would do little containers of leftovers - dish out a portion BEFORE DH serves himself.

Or...

Cook up a chicken breast or two, a cup or two of rice in chicken broth, and some peas. Shred the chicken, add to the cooked rice, add the peas. Then portion out into 5 containers for the week. Add some yogurt or chopped mandarin oranges on the side. Voila!

Another thing I did was make a big batch of soup - meat and veg and starch. Then for the kids, I just drained some broth out and gave them the stuff in it. It was all soft from cooking all day, they got every food group, etc.

 

[clm10308]

I don't know if this is still available, but Tupperware used to sell a small, child size divided dish with lid. The dish could go in the microwave but not the lid. My kids are quite q bit older know, but I still have the two I bought when my now DD17 was a baby. The sections are just right for baby sized servings.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Ideally you would want to try to avoid a lot of the canned and processed foods as much as possible as there is way to much salt for baby's kidneys to have to process. Sounds like you are feeding her well at home so I would try to extend that to daycare. I would cook and freeze tiny amounts (ice cube trays work well). Cook up and prepare and freeze simple small amount of meats and veggies and even fruits. Just take out what you need each night and put in a section plate and put in the freg for the next day. Ask how they reheat the food. Be sure they use a safe method.

 

[disykat]

I always suggest this because it was one of my favorite toddler meals when my kids were little. I used to make a turkey spinach meatloaf (I used oatmeal as the binder because I didn't introduce wheat until they were one) which I would cube up and serve with cubed baked sweet potato. We would have this for dinner one night and I'd freeze several servings size baggies for the baby. It was easy to grab and take with us.

My kids also liked sticky rice with beans. Once I introduced wheat we did beans and macaroni a lot as well. I made most lunches up out of leftovers. Just make extra chicken/veggies/etc. as you do dinner and chop it up appropriately for a meal.

 

[littlebit0863]

Thank you all so much!