The Ultimate Daycare Snack Menu-Over 150 combinations that meet food program requirements
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)
The ultimate daycare snack menu
If you need help planning a daycare menu, check out this post to get you started. We also have these handy daycare menu planning packs you can get on Etsy to help motivate you.
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.
Home 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.
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Toddler snacks for daycare
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Whole-grain snacks for daycare
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
Cheap snacks for daycare
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
Easy snacks for daycare
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.
The Ultimate Daycare Snack Menu for CACFP Requirements PRINTABLE PDF
Don’t forget to pin for later
