We are moving to Ann Arbor in a couple of weeks so we have been looking for a new childcare center. As much as I complain about the food served at Caroline's current childcare center, it is not as bad as some of the centers I have visited in Ann Arbor. Last week, I visited a center in downtown Ann Arbor and...to put it nicely, was disgusted. Besides the unprofessional attitudes among the staff (including the director), I was appalled by the condition of the toddler room. There was paint peeling off of the wall, there were no books to speak of, and the kitchen was in the toddler classroom. The rotating lunch menu - an optional meal that families can purchase for $3 per lunch - was cooked by the director and went something like this: Wednesdays - turkey hot dogs/Sun Chips/baked beans, Thursdays - Dominos pizza/Sun Chips, Fridays - chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, fruit or vegetable. And we wonder why one in every four preschoolers in this country is either overweight or at risk of becoming overweight and why children have such poor dietary habits.
Caroline's Lunchbox Menu, September 22: Breakfast - O's, watermelon, cantaloupe; Lunch - zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli (Cinzori Farms), banana, rice with dill, chard, feta cheese; Snacks - whole grain crackers, carrot dip
Childcare Center Menu, September 22: Breakfast - orange juice, Cheerios, Life, Rice Krispies; Lunch - ground turkey and rice with tomatoes, California vegetables, bananas; Snacks - guacamole, taco shells
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Holy Moses, that's rough. I know our child's snacks aren't perfect, but the school tries and at least gives a good speech about using local vegetables and fruits (and certainly no high sugar or high processed foods). We have to pack his lunch, and maaan, am I tired of that already. But I read somewhere (here, perhaps?) about the laptop lunches? The boxes are like bento boxes? Anyway, they are more expensive than I'd like, but we might look into it as we go into year three of packing a lunch every. single. day. ahhh.
Good luck--I feel like we just met and you're leaving already. Hopefully you'll keep up the blog and I can keep up with your food, at least!
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