Do you bring in snacks for the class and what do you bring?

[Anonymous]

We were asked to volunteer for 2 weeks of snack in PK4 this year.

I picked my child's birthday week as one, so brought a cake that day. Other days I brought: Nutragrain bars, clementines, bananas, cheese sticks, applesauce pouches. I got everything at Costco. (Except the bananas.)

Other parents did Goldfish, hummus, carrot sticks, Pirate's Booty, Veggie Straws, various granola bars, fruit snacks.

[Anonymous]

I hated this system b/c my DD ended up regularly getting goldfish and extra juice (which she didn't need) - vs. if I'd been able to back fruit and whole wheat crackers or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD3 will be starting at our neighborhood school and I have heard that parents bring in snacks items for the class. Can anyone tell me the guidelines on this and some good things to bring? We mainly shop at Harris Teeter and Costco. It's a Title I so I will probably try to send extra of the items are shelf stable. TIA!

At YY, parents are assigned a week for the class snack, it works on rotation. They're also given a list of appropriate items (for example: chunks of melon, craisins, and veggie-booty are good). You buy enough snack for the class, and drop off a couple times during the week.

It's actually a huge relief: one week of snack-planning and then you're done for a few months. My child was always really excited about her week, we would carefully pick out the items and talk about their nutritional value. The shelf-stable items are pretty easy: pretzels, veggie chips, pirate booty, etc. Dried fruits are also good: raisins, craisins, dried apricots, etc. Then you want fresh items, but those you'll probably want to drop off more than once during "your" week: baby carrots, clementines, grapes, cut-up melon or oranges.

Bottom line: avoid nuts, avoid fried and sugary snacks, and plan a second trip to make sure you have fresh choices.

[Anonymous]

a favorite was Thomas mini bagels(the are pre sliced) and a tub of Cream cheese very easy for teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD3 will be starting at our neighborhood school and I have heard that parents bring in snacks items for the class. Can anyone tell me the guidelines on this and some good things to bring? We mainly shop at Harris Teeter and Costco. It's a Title I so I will probably try to send extra of the items are shelf stable. TIA!

At YY, parents are assigned a week for the class snack, it works on rotation. They're also given a list of appropriate items (for example: chunks of melon, craisins, and veggie-booty are good). You buy enough snack for the class, and drop off a couple times during the week.

It's actually a huge relief: one week of snack-planning and then you're done for a few months. My child was always really excited about her week, we would carefully pick out the items and talk about their nutritional value. The shelf-stable items are pretty easy: pretzels, veggie chips, pirate booty, etc. Dried fruits are also good: raisins, craisins, dried apricots, etc. Then you want fresh items, but those you'll probably want to drop off more than once during "your" week: baby carrots, clementines, grapes, cut-up melon or oranges.

Bottom line: avoid nuts, avoid fried and sugary snacks, and plan a second trip to make sure you have fresh choices.

OP is at a Title I, and wants to do drive-by parenting. A selection of cut fruit mixed with dried is not going to meet her needs.

BTW, there is a baked version of Cheetos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:a favorite was Thomas mini bagels(the are pre sliced) and a tub of Cream cheese very easy for teachers.

Why would they need the cream cheese?? Aren't American children exposed to enough extra fat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD3 will be starting at our neighborhood school and I have heard that parents bring in snacks items for the class. Can anyone tell me the guidelines on this and some good things to bring? We mainly shop at Harris Teeter and Costco. It's a Title I so I will probably try to send extra of the items are shelf stable. TIA!

At YY, parents are assigned a week for the class snack, it works on rotation. They're also given a list of appropriate items (for example: chunks of melon, craisins, and veggie-booty are good). You buy enough snack for the class, and drop off a couple times during the week.

It's actually a huge relief: one week of snack-planning and then you're done for a few months. My child was always really excited about her week, we would carefully pick out the items and talk about their nutritional value. The shelf-stable items are pretty easy: pretzels, veggie chips, pirate booty, etc. Dried fruits are also good: raisins, craisins, dried apricots, etc. Then you want fresh items, but those you'll probably want to drop off more than once during "your" week: baby carrots, clementines, grapes, cut-up melon or oranges.

Bottom line: avoid nuts, avoid fried and sugary snacks, and plan a second trip to make sure you have fresh choices.

OP is at a Title I, and wants to do drive-by parenting. A selection of cut fruit mixed with dried is not going to meet her needs.

BTW, there is a baked version of Cheetos.

This is OP. What on earth is drive-by parenting? It is a Title I so I would like to provide a healthy and enjoyable snack with extra to cover additional days if needed, in case some parents don't bring anything on their days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:a favorite was Thomas mini bagels(the are pre sliced) and a tub of Cream cheese very easy for teachers.

Why would they need the cream cheese?? Aren't American children exposed to enough extra fat?

Because otherwise it's all carbs and that makes their blood sugar spike and then crash. A small portion of fat is entirely appropriate in a child's snack.

[Anonymous]

We do this at Hearst for morning snack - at least it's for PK and K. We order from Amazon Prime. Pirate Booty, granola bars, applesauces, plain popcorn. We often stop at Giant the night before and buy bananas or apples for the class. The teachers at our school put out a calendar so you at least know a month in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:a favorite was Thomas mini bagels(the are pre sliced) and a tub of Cream cheese very easy for teachers.

Why would they need the cream cheese?? Aren't American children exposed to enough extra fat?

Because otherwise it's all carbs and that makes their blood sugar spike and then crash. A small portion of fat is entirely appropriate in a child's snack.

The anti-carb diet isn't making your child thinner or healthier. If they need a little carb snack then let them have it. Otherwise quit putting food in their fat faces. The idea that pre-schoolers need a bagel and cream cheese to get through the morning is beyond stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my kid's elementary school a different parent brings in snack each week or something. Once I brought in animal crackers, once pb-filled pretzels, and once popcorn.

They were cool with this?

We're very cool, overall.

[Anonymous]

DD's school has parents sign up for a week of snacks too. No nuts, no sweets.

The teachers there have a fridge for snacks and prefer fresh foods but are grateful for whatever people bring.

Costco is really helpful for getting big containers of everything. Popular choices seem to be granola bars, apples (I throw in a jar of sun butter for dip), veggie sticks and hummus, applesauce, popcorn, berries, bananas, clementines, tortilla chips and salsa or those little packs of guacamole, mini yogurts, or cheese. A lot of people bring in giant cartons of goldfish or jumbo bags of pretzels too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:a favorite was Thomas mini bagels(the are pre sliced) and a tub of Cream cheese very easy for teachers.

Why would they need the cream cheese?? Aren't American children exposed to enough extra fat?

Because otherwise it's all carbs and that makes their blood sugar spike and then crash. A small portion of fat is entirely appropriate in a child's snack.

The anti-carb diet isn't making your child thinner or healthier. If they need a little carb snack then let them have it. Otherwise quit putting food in their fat faces. The idea that pre-schoolers need a bagel and cream cheese to get through the morning is beyond stupid.

cream cheese has protein. you might want to let go of your vitriol.

[Anonymous]

For whomever brings cake for your child's birthday, please don't. We'd love to eat cake if we have the pleasure of coming to your birthday party, but my child gets more than enough treats, even without having them around the house and without you giving my child a sugar-rush during school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For whomever brings cake for your child's birthday, please don't. We'd love to eat cake if we have the pleasure of coming to your birthday party, but my child gets more than enough treats, even without having them around the house and without you giving my child a sugar-rush during school.

Totally agree with this. Obesity is an epidemic here. Plus all of the allergy kids will probably not be able to partake.

As for the snack rotation, I think DCPS should be able to provide snacks. Also, are these kids i school all day or half day? I question all of the snacks in light of the obesity we have in this country. If free breakfast and lunch are offered, then that might be enough. Or alternatively, the school should provide free snacks for those in need and let the rest bring their own.