No Homemade Snacks
My son brought a note home from school yesterday stating that all snacks sent in by parents for the class to share (he is in preschool and we rotate weeks we are responsible for providing snacks) must be made in a Board of Health certified kitchen and therefore, homemade snacks are not allowed.
This on the heels of my talking about buying sprinkles for my son to help decorate homemade snacks for his class, of course. Timing is everything. 
I understand it, I do. I myself have a life-threatening allergy to strawberries. No, not as prevalent as peanuts and the like, but it only takes not being able to eat something specific to realize how many places that something pops up in. So I do understand the risk of accepting homemade goodies and I accept the fact that for the safety of all the children involved, the ingredients and warnings need to be clearly labeled on the package, something that homemade doesn’t exactly do.
But still… I’m sad and disappointed for two main reasons. First, my son is incredibly picky. He comes by it honestly - my husband is the same way - but one of the big ways I have gotten him to branch out and try more things is by giving him partial ownership of the creation. He is much more likely to eat a pumpkin-cranberry bran muffin if he is involved in its creation from start to finish. Sure, I have to chop up the cranberries into tiny pieces or he’ll fish them out of his mouth after every bite, but he’s the one who dumped them into the bowl after chopping so he’s involved and has some ownership over the final product. I will also have to send less healthy things every day than if I made them myself. My son is not going to eat a store-bought muffin that is in any way, shape or form, healthy. Believe me, I’ve tried. He will eat a store-bought Fig Newton. I guess that’s something. Apple? Carrot stick? Not unless I cook them - which I am not allowed to do. I guess I’m sending Aldi’s cheddar cheese rice cakes instead.
If I have to send store-bought items (which I now do), it will also cost more money to provide snack. I had all these frugal ideas for incorporating snack into things we were already making for the family and just making a little extra (I only have to send in snack for 8 people a day). I’m going to have to come up with some money-saving ideas for store-bought snacks now. My son does eat some store-bought snacks, I don’t by any stretch of the imagination make everything from scratch, but they aren’t as inexpensive as making things myself. Any suggestions on inexpensive store-bought preschool snack solutions are welcome. Keeping it under a dollar per day (so 8 snacks for a dollar) would be ideal if that is even possible.
Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted. The teacher suggested microwave popcorn. We eat the unbuttered kind. I wonder what the other 3-year olds will think.
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November 14th, 2007 at 6:50 am
Oh boy. I was just mildly disappointed for you and your son until I read the second to last paragraph, and then I just got mad after I thought about it. It’s a ridiculous, awful conceit of your Board of Ed to say “bring store bought food, it’s BETTER.” So kids will bring Doritos and “healthy” snack bars. Ugh. I have a bad peanut allergy, and it caused some problems when I was younger, but you know what fixed it? Understanding parents of kids in my class who agreed not to send peanut butter or peanuts in their kids’ lunches! Not bureaucratic nonsense like that! Your Board’s action isn’t going to protect kids from allergens!
Suggesting microwave popcorn for kids!! That’s just insane. This is exactly the kind of thinking that is destroying Americans’ health - that things are ‘healthy’ if they are processed, store-bought foods. So my tomatoes that were grown in natural fertilizer in front of my house are dangerous, nasty foods but Cheese Whiz would be OK.
Whew, sorry for the rant but my jaw just clenched reading that. My son is a picky eater, too, and this is exactly the kind of thing that makes me hate the idea of organized schooling. There are too many fools out there who don’t realize that children are being poisoned by a LACK of home-prepared food, not too much of it. Grr.
Well, good luck. I’m sure you’ll manage but that is a terrible inconvenience, both financially, health-wise and picky-eater-satisfying-wise.
November 14th, 2007 at 7:36 am
By the way, I should have said “suggesting buttered microwave popcorn,” because that’s what I gather your school is suggesting. The unbuttered kind is fine. It’s just the buttery stuff that makes it unhealthy.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Unfortunately this is the direction schools are moving. Both of my children’s schools adopted the “no homemade snacks” policy this year.
I honestly think the concern is more with sanitary preparation than with allergies. At my son’s school, they do serve fresh snacks that the teachers prepare. But on birthdays, parents are required to bring in store bought snacks.
I find it kind of interesting, because there were how many cases of food poisoning in pre-packaged foods over the last year? Food isn’t any safer if it’s store bought, and it’s definitely not as healthy!
November 14th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Oh my gosh, it’s enough of a chore to feed one’s own family - you’re supposed to feed your son’s whole class?? When did this practice develop? Even if it’s “only” 8 other people, it sounds whack to me. Sorry - and good luck to you!
November 14th, 2007 at 10:15 am
My daughter’s school has the same policy, and the way I understand it is this is a requirement of the state for the school to get their child care licensing.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Reading stuff like this makes me really want to consider keeping my future kids out of preschool.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I think the reason is because the school is liable which ultimately means the parent is liable. I would not want to be sued for causing a child to have an fit because unbeknown to me he or she has some allergy. Or some parent with questionable food hygiene cooking my child some food which contains a food bug.
One mans dust is a another persons clean.
Its a shame but I can see the reasoning behind it, remember all homemade snacks are not made the same!!
November 14th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
I don’t know if this will help - but I buy premade snacks (either at the dollar store or on-sale with a coupon) and my daughter and I make “dessert sushi”. If the school will let you, open the individual packages and cut the items into various shapes. (i.e. yodel type things cut on an angle then stood on end are a big hit for some reason!?!) And then add some mini-snacks (mini-muffins, brownie bites, etc.) You need to use some imagination, but its really fun. On a tray arranged in interesting patterns, the kids’ eyes will bug out and you and your son still get to make something together.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
At the risk of jumping into a rant…I am finding that even though public school is supposed to be funded by my tax money, yet each year is costing me more and more money by things like this, purchasing supplies, fund-raisers, etc.
Just ads to the growing list we have of pulling our kids out and home schooling.
November 14th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
My suggestions are raisins, breadsticks, little pots of fromage frais, plain biscuits (translate as cookies/crackers if you like), grapes or little bananas, and of course the plain popcorn (why not!).
I shouldn’t be afraid of sending in the same thing twice or more in the week. And I imagine that this is predominantly to protect everyone from a food poisoning incident.
November 14th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Since I used to pay for preschool, even though I know I pay for public school through taxes, it still seems like a cheap deal to only have to provide a week of snacks every few months. But it is all about perception.
I do understand there are probably good reasons for the no homemade rule, it just made me sad. I think things have to be in the packages still but I will inquire about that. Otherwise Susan, that is a really cute and creative idea!
And thanks Susan and Plonkee for the suggestions. Although I have no idea what fromage frais is
November 14th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
How annoying! I remember back in elementary we would all be estatic when we knew it was someone’s birthday. How is a child supposed to enjoy this experience now? It’s just going to keep getting worse and worse
November 18th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
I guess I can understand the reasoning behind it but making snacks for the class is so much fun! It makes your child feel so proud to help out!
Thank you for sharing this with the Carnival of Family Life. Your post will be included in the November 19th edition at An Island Life. Aloha!