The Ultimate Daycare Snack Menu-Over 150 combinations that meet food program requirements

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New ideas for the daycare snack menu is the most common question I hear asked about food. Everyone gets bored with their snack ideas. Running a home daycare can be a tough job. But it’s one I love. I love coming up with creative ideas for new menus and snack menus are no different. I get bored serving the same ole thing to my kids. (For a printable copy of the daycare snack idea list, go to the bottom of the article and click on the link to the pdf)

• If you’re wondering about the child and adult care food program for daycare providers, check this out.

Check out this daycare food menu meal planning guide for more ideas on how to plan out your menus well. These resources are going to be a great help to you! And if you want to buy menus already planned out, check out Daycare Time Solutions for monthly menu plans, click on shop all and menu plans for menus that meet food program requirements. Or if you want a sheet with a sample week and shopping list to get you started, check out this planning pack.

I like simple, so my snacks are usually very easy. By the end of the day, I’m tired of being fabulous and ready for a break. So, snack is where I’m ho-hum. These super fun snack ideas for kids might be more your speed if you like to cute it up in the afternoons. They are great for special occasions too. And don’t forget about these spooky Halloween snacks. Or if you’re looking for winter themed snacks for Christmas, snow, and Valentine’s, check these out.

Daycare snack menu

With the more recent guidelines for the food program, it’s more difficult to find simple daycare snacks that are creditable. But you can still do it. It just takes a little more creativity now. And there is less variety available. There are still a lot of healthy choices for our kids.

For snack, you are required to serve any 2 of the 5 components. So, if you serve raisins for snack, they can be served with milk, or crackers, or cheese. There are a number of things you could do with them that all meet the requirements.

The 5 components are:

• Meat or meat alternate
• Fruit
• Vegetable
• Fluid milk
• Grains

Serving sizes for snack are:

• Ages 1-2
• Fluid Milk 4 fluid ounces
• Meat/meat alternates Meat, tofu or cheese ½ ounce, Large egg ½, Cooked dry beans or peas 1/8 c, Nut or seed butter 1 T, Yogurt ¼ cup, Nuts or seeds ½ oz.
• Vegetables ½ cup
• Grains Whole grain-rich or enriched bread or bread product ½ slice or ½ serving, Whole grain-rich, enriched, or fortified grain, cereal, or pasta ¼ cup, Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal dry ½ flakes or rounds or ¾ c puffed.

Ages 3-5

• Fluid Milk 4 fluid ounces
• Meat/meat alternates Meat, tofu or cheese ½ ounce, Large egg ½, Cooked dry beans or peas 1/8 c, Nut or seed butter 1 T, Yogurt ¼ cup, Nuts or seeds ½ oz.
• Vegetables ½ cup
• Fruits ½ cup
• Grains Whole grain rich or enriched bread or bread product ½ slice or ½ serving, Whole grain rich, enriched, or fortified grain, cereal, or pasta ¼ cup, Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal dry ½ flakes or rounds or ¾ c puffed.

Ages 6-12

• Fluid Milk 8 fluid ounces
• Meat/meat alternates Meat, tofu or cheese 1-ounce, Large egg ½, Cooked dry beans or peas 1/4 c, Nut or seed butter 2 T, Yogurt ½ cup, Nuts or seeds 1 oz.
• Vegetables ¾ cup
• Fruits ¾ cup
• Grains Whole grain-rich or enriched bread or bread product 1 slice or 1 serving, Whole grain rich, enriched, or fortified grain, cereal, or pasta ½ cup, Whole grain-rich, enriched or fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereal dry ¾ flakes or rounds or 1 c puffed.

Remember if kids are under 2, make sure you cut any grapes or cherry tomatoes into quarters for safety. Also, daycare snacks like raw carrots or celery that may be a choking hazard, you can microwave them for a minute or two to soften them a bit for younger kids.

Juice must be 100% juice, no sugar added to be creditable for daycare snack. This is not an all-inclusive list. Just a lot of inspiration for new ideas or new combinations you might not have thought of.

Check out these super cute pig yogurt bowls. Every kid would want this!

Daycare snack ideas

• Almonds and apples
• Almonds and milk
• Animal crackers and pumpkin seeds
• Animal crackers and milk
• Apple chips and peanut butter
• Apple chips and yogurt
• Apple slices and milk
• Apples and cheese
• Apples and crackers
• Apples and peanut butter
• Apples and sunflower seeds
• Bagel and cantaloupe
• Bagel pizza
• Bagels and peanut butter
• Bagels and smoothie
• Banana bread and peanut butter
• Banana chips and hummus
• Bananas and milk
• Beans and rice
• Biscuits and ham
• Blueberries and yogurt
• Boiled egg and pickles
• Broccoli tots and milk
• Canned fruit and crackers
• Cantaloupe and milk
• Cat eyes
• Celery and peanut butter (top with raisins for ants on a log)
• Cereal and dried fruit
• Cereal and juice
• Cereal and nuts or seeds
• Cereal and raisins
• Cheese and cherry tomatoes
• Cheese and crackers
• Cheese and juice
• Cheese slice and apple slices
• Cheese sticks and graham crackers
• Cheese sticks and strawberries
• Cheese quesadilla
• Chicken in a biscuit
• Chicken nuggets and celery
• Cottage cheese and crackers
• Crackers and avocado
• Cream cheese and apple butter sandwiches
• Cut up grapes and cheese
• Edamame and milk
• Empanadas
• French fries and milk
• Fruit and cheese kabobs
• Fruit and sun butter
• Go squeeze applesauce and muffins
• Goldfish crackers and juice
• Graham crackers and juice
• Graham crackers and milk
• Graham crackers and peanut butter
• Grilled cheese sandwich
• Guacamole and tortillas
• Ham and crackers
• Ham sandwich
• Ham slices and toast
• Hardboiled egg and bananas
• Hardboiled egg and crackers
• Homemade pretzels and cheese dip
• Hot dogs and oranges
• Hot pockets
• Hummus and pepper slices
• Juice and crackers
• Mandarin oranges and cheese
• Mango and string cheese
• Meatballs and milk
• Milk and crackers
• Milk and pineapple
• Mini bagels and milk
• Mini quiches
• Mozzarella and cherry tomatoes
• Mozzarella sticks in a tortilla
• Muffins and milk
• Nuts and dried fruit
• Olives and cheese
• Pancakes and bananas
• Pancakes and peanut butter
• Pancakes and pineapple
• Pasta and cheese
• Pasta salad
• Peaches and cottage cheese
• Peanut butter and banana
• Peanut butter and crackers
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Peanut butter crackers
• Peanut butter on a tortilla
• Pears and crackers
• Pickles and cheese
• Pickles and pretzels
• Pigs in a blanket
• Pita and hummus
• Pita and peanut butter
• Pizza cups
• Pretzels and peanut butter
• Pumpkin seeds and grapes
• Raisins and nuts
• Raw cauliflower and cottage cheese
• Raw vegetable slices and hummus
• Rice and cheese
• Rice cakes and fruit
• Rice cakes and peanut butter
• Roll and ham
• Roll and peanut butter
• Scrambled eggs and pineapple
• Snap peas and hummus
• Snap peas and milk
• Strawberries and milk
• Sweet potato fries and juice
• Toast and milk
• Toast and juice
• Toast and yogurt
• Toast with cream cheese and strawberries
• Tortilla and cheese
• Tortilla and ham
• Tortilla and peanut butter
• Tortilla chips and bean dip
• Tortilla chips and juice
• Tortilla chips and salsa
• Tortilla pizza
• Turkey and bread
• Vegetable slices and peanut butter
• Vegetables and dip
• Waffles and banana
• Watermelon and cheese slices
• Yogurt and blueberries
• Yogurt parfaits

Whole grain products must say 100% whole grain or made with more than 50% whole grains to count as the whole grain component.

• Cheerios and banana
• Cheerios and milk
• Cheerios and raisins
• Whole wheat English muffin and juice
• Whole wheat English muffin and peanut butter
• Whole wheat English muffin pizza
• Oatmeal and berries
• Oatmeal and applesauce
• Whole wheat toast and peanut butter
• Whole wheat cinnamon toast and milk
• Whole wheat tortillas and cream cheese with strawberries
• Whole wheat crackers and milk
• Brown rice cakes and cottage cheese
• Brown rice with raisins

In general, fresh fruit is less expensive than canned fruit or juice per serving. If you want to save on daycare snacks, try doing a bread component and fresh fruit or vegetables. This is usually the least expensive combination. We can all use some help keeping more of our profits.

• Animal crackers and apples
• Animal crackers and juice
• Banana bread and juice
• Banana bread and carrot sticks
• Banana bread and milk
• Black beans and corn
• Boiled eggs and crackers
• Boiled egg and carrot sticks
• Bananas and crackers
• Cereal and pears
• Cinnamon toast with juice
• Egg in a nest
• Graham crackers and apples
• Hummus and carrot sticks
• Hummus and cucumber slices
• Muffins and bananas
• Oranges and pretzels
• Pasta and vegetables
• Scrambled eggs and toast
• Tortilla and oranges
• Tortilla and bean dip

Who doesn’t want a daycare snack that is pour it and forget it? No prep, little mess and easier for those long hard days. These are the easiest snacks available.

• Banana and tortilla
• Crackers and raisins
• Dry cereal and banana chips
• Graham crackers and pickles
• Animal crackers and bananas
• Rice cakes and oranges
• Cereal and milk
• Cereal and juice
• Crackers and milk
• Crackers and juice

I know this list of daycare snacks will help spark your creativity and you’re going to refer back to it again and again for inspiration. Happy feeding of those sweet kiddos! You are blessed for the job you have feeding them.

For lunch ideas and breakfast ideas, check these out. For more easy healthy snack ideas for kids, check these out.

The Ultimate Daycare Snack Menu for CACFP Requirements PRINTABLE PDF

And for more inspiration for daycare meals that will save you money too, check out these dirt cheap meals for daycare.