Moms or teachers: snack week at school?

[kristie]

I have two weeks of the year that I have to provide snacks for all 20 kids. One of my weeks is coming up. There is limited guidance on this in terms of amounts or expectations. I have tried to quiz dd, but not getting much. She says she doesn't like raisin days, and goldfish are everyone's favorite. I asked her if they got drinks and she said she doesn't know. Thanks kid. So what would you do? Any ideas for an entire week. I guess I can clarify with the teacher. There has been no mention of things to bring or not to bring. I would think snacks would be more than a little pack of raisins, yes? Ugh, a whole week is annoying. At least if I just had one day occasionally I could send the same thing every time.

[adhdfashion]

Whatever comes is snack pack sizes at Costco.
Or a different fruit ever day.

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:18:23 GMT -5 @licia said:

I've got to think something like pretzels, trail mix, popcorn, grapes, berries, animal crackers, etc. would go over well.

But what would you send for one day? Pretzels and fruit, or is that two snacks?

[game blouses]

I have snack week coming up too. DS's teachers recommend 3 food groups, such as string cheese, pretzels, and fruit. It's a PITA but I'm glad it's just for a week.

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:22:12 GMT -5 game blouses said:

I have snack week coming up too. DS's teachers recommend 3 food groups, such as string cheese, pretzels, and fruit. It's a PITA but I'm glad it's just for a week.

Ok, that's what I was wondering. I didn't know if goldfish or bananas on their own are considered a whole snack or if I needed to plan on sending several items everyday.

[whitemerlot]

We have to just do one day but several times a year. It seems like the norm is to bring 2 things. Our kids are always served water, so no drinks. I have brought these combinations

Graham crackers and gogurt
String cheese and pretzels
Sugar snap peas and goldfish
Grapes and Nilla Wafers
Apples and Crackers

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:22:25 GMT -5 peachy said:

Wait, what? A parent has to provide snacks for 20 kids every day for a week?

Yes, twice. I have a week in September and a week in February. It's all new to me. I have no idea if this is normal.

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:19:18 GMT -5 jillianashley6 said:

Apples, cheezeits, cheese sticks, carrots/celery with ranch, chex mix trail mix, clementines, animal crackers, grapes, gogurt, hummus and chips

I forgot cutie season is coming! This almost makes it ok that summer is coming to an end. Almost

[buddysmom]

Day 1 - Chocolate Bars & Doritos
Day 2 - Cokes & Licorice Straws
Day 3 - Oreo Cookies & Chocolate Milk
Day 4 - Pixy Sticks & Pig Skins
Day 5 - Red Bull & Fun Dip

Aaaaaand you'll never have to worry about snack week again!

[angelaa73]

let me make you the freaking hero right now. get the princess goldfish. they're pink. there. approx half the class may stroke out over this

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:36:41 GMT -5 angelaa73 said:

let me make you the freaking hero right now. get the princess goldfish. they're pink. there. approx half the class may stroke out over this

What?!?! I have never seen these. Show me what they look like.

[jenna]

We provide snacks about 2x a month for 7-9 kids.

I usually drop off fruit - bananas, apples, pre-sliced watermelon wedges. I also have done cheese sticks.

I checked with the teacher to make sure she could cut up the apples & that it wasn't too much of a hassle. I bring enough for each kid to have 1/2 an apple, and 1/2 a banana, and 1 slice watermelon.  I just bring an entire bag of cheese sticks since those things last forever, and she can serve them at any time v. fruit that spoils.

The kids are age 3.

[muppetinma]

We were given a book about acceptable snacks and unacceptable ones. (DS's preschool is on the forefront of the local "Healthy Green Schools" initiative.) We were also assigned what snacks to bring on our weeks. Today, Andrew snacked on plums and snap peas. Last week, it was peaches and Kashi fruit bars. We're supposed to bring popcorn, cranberries, and dried banana chips on his first day and whole apples and homemade granola on his second day. The book has the recipe for the granola and it's pretty easy. Although, the book also specifies that popcorn is on the big no-no list. I hate conflicting messages.

In his class, they just drink water with snacks.

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:38:10 GMT -5 jenna said:

We provide snacks about 2x a month for 7-9 kids.

I usually drop off fruit - bananas, apples, pre-sliced watermelon wedges. I also have done cheese sticks.

I checked with the teacher to make sure she could cut up the apples & that it wasn't too much of a hassle. I bring enough for each kid to have 1/2 an apple, and 1/2 a banana, and 1 slice watermelon.

The kids are age 3.

Yeah, I know they said they are fine with cutting bananas in half, but everything else needs to be prepped/washed and we have to provide spoons if we give applesauce, napkins to put crackers on, etc.

[redwino]

The kids at my schools seem to usually have a piece of fruit for snack. I've seen them get two cuties but only one pear so I don't know who decides the amount. I've never seen them have multiple food choices at once. This is at a public elementary school in pre-k and k classes.

[karmasabiotch]

What a pain.

At J's school we have to send him with 2 healthy snacks each day and their version of healthy continues to be nothing processed. It an only be fruit or veggies and no dipping things like yogurt or ranch. On special days we can send a cheese stick or hummus.

[eb777888]

We had to provide for the whole class in preschool. I tried to do a carb and protein but I would not do that for 20 kids! I did cheese sticks, go-gurt "simple", bananas (fruit was okay and bananas are cheap), pretzels, Goldfish, graham crackers, peanut butter crackers. I basically talked to David and asked what he wanted- not that he'd ever touch the bananas, though.

In kindergarten, all of David's snacks must be dry and nothing cold.

eta: no, I would not send anything to drink. 

[kristie]

Dd is always starving when she gets home. They eat lunch so early. It's stupid. Like 1050, then she doesn't get out until 330. So probably something that is somewhat filling is the best way to go. Lots of good suggestions in here. Thanks!

[angelaa73]

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 17:49:54 GMT -5 angelaa73 said:

OMG! I have never seen those. That is hilarious.

[Deleted]

We have the same schedule for our school. For the first week I always do Hawaiian rolls and jelly (Costco). The second week is bananas and animal crackers (Costco). My son tells me that the hawaiian rolls are a big hit as are the animal crackers.

[8675309]

We moved my kids to a preschool last month that was very working parent oriented. All snacks and lunches are provided by the school and we are given a calendar every month of what each day consists of. We can opt out of specific foods if we know our kids wont eat it and bring our own. Luckily I haven't had to do that.

I have 2 kids at that school right now and I would go bananas figuring out what to bring.
I think you've had some great suggestions here.

[lauralala]

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned are apple sauce pouches. An applesauce pouch and a cheese stick is my go-to snack for sharing.

[8675309]

Sept 2, 2014 18:20:42 GMT -5 lauralala said:

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned are apple sauce pouches. An applesauce pouch and a cheese stick is my go-to snack for sharing.

I'm guessing because this would cost you about $15-18 just for 1 day of snacks?

The apple sauce pouches at my Target are $3.99 for 4 pouches and that's supposed to be a deal.

[lauralala]

Sept 2, 2014 18:22:59 GMT -5 8675309 said:

Sept 2, 2014 18:20:42 GMT -5 lauralala said:

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned are apple sauce pouches. An applesauce pouch and a cheese stick is my go-to snack for sharing.

I'm guessing because this would cost you about $15-18 just for 1 day of snacks?

The apple sauce pouches at my Target are $3.99 for 4 pouches and that's supposed to be a deal.

The go-go squeez ones are at Sam's and Costco for a lot less, but yeah, it could add up.

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 18:22:59 GMT -5 8675309 said:

Sept 2, 2014 18:20:42 GMT -5 lauralala said:

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned are apple sauce pouches. An applesauce pouch and a cheese stick is my go-to snack for sharing.

I'm guessing because this would cost you about $15-18 just for 1 day of snacks?

The apple sauce pouches at my Target are $3.99 for 4 pouches and that's supposed to be a deal.

I actually stockpiled tons of the gogo squeezes when publix had them buy one get one. They ended up being like 1.40 a box.

[8675309]

Sept 2, 2014 18:24:28 GMT -5 kristie said:

Sept 2, 2014 18:22:59 GMT -5 8675309 said:

I'm guessing because this would cost you about $15-18 just for 1 day of snacks?

The apple sauce pouches at my Target are $3.99 for 4 pouches and that's supposed to be a deal.

I actually stockpiled tons of the gogo squeezes when publix had them buy one get one. They ended up being like 1.40 a box.

I wish we had a publix out here. I think Costco has a box of 12 for $8.99, but you'd still need to buy 2 boxes for your class.

[kristie]

Sept 2, 2014 18:27:32 GMT -5 8675309 said:

Sept 2, 2014 18:24:28 GMT -5 kristie said:

I actually stockpiled tons of the gogo squeezes when publix had them buy one get one. They ended up being like 1.40 a box.

I wish we had a publix out here. I think Costco has a box of 12 for $8.99, but you'd still need to buy 2 boxes for your class.

Yeah, I don't know that I want to give away my gogo squeezes. I love those things. Lol.

[wildfloweragain]

I think the suggestions are good. The reason to not to every man for himself, at least in school, is that some kids won't have anything at all. Our pre-K to 1st grades generally have parents bring once a month for the whole class, and the teacher has a box of goldfish or something for the times a parent sends nothing on their day

It's not really something a teacher can sustain, buying snack for the whole class every day.

In my 2nd grade, it's everyone brings a healthy snack every day. 1/3 to 1/2 doesn't, which is why I ask that parents also send a box of something if/when they can (pretzels, goldfish, animal crackers, etc.) It's not the healthiest, but it's how we work it out. Some classes don't have snack.

[muppetinma]

Here's the list of snacks for Andrew's class for the first part of this year. Like I said, he goes to a hippy school when it comes to food. Each line is the snacks for the day. We don't have to send it plates, cups, or napkins. They also cut up the fruit for us.

Peaches and Kashi berry bars
Celery raisin and Sun butter
Plums and snap peas
Watermelon and Utz pretzels
Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and hummus
Whole Cantaloupe and Kale chips( to make in class)
Cooking Day Seasonal Muffins(blueberries) to make in class
Grapefruit and flavored rice cakes
Granola bars(nut free) and Smoothies Spinach, frozen mangos, pineapple juice (to blend in class)
Jar of Motts/Mussulmen’s Apple sauce and Van's whole grain waffles
Bananas and Trail mix (Chex cereal and dried fruit)
Whole Pineapple and Utz pretzels
Fruit salsa(green apple, kiwi, and strawberry)Stacy’s cinnamon pitachips
Hummus and pita triangle with Whole carrots
Cooking Day Seasonal Muffins (banana)and whole oranges
Terra chips and grapes
Popcorn, cranberries, and dried banana chips
Whole Apples and Homemade granola
Three bears porridge (Quinoa, dried cranberries and soy milk)
Cinnamon rice cakes and clementine’s
Zucchini pizza bites(sauce, Daiya shredded cheese)
Celery, Raisin, and sunflower butter
Smoothie: Kale, apple, and banana with Kashi berry bars
Stacy's Pita chips and Hummas
Grapefruit and mini flavored rice cakes
Cooking Day Seasonal muffin(cranberries)
Smoothie: Bananas, frozen mixed berries, Trail mix (Chex cereal and dried Fruit)
Red and Green bell peppers with hummus
Clementine and cheese quesadillas(Daiya shredded cheese Whole foods)
Grapes, celery, and carrots
Cooking Day Seasonal Muffins (raisins), apples