Quesedillas? or what about chili or tacos or sloppy joes? They can all be made with ground carrots and tomato paste to make them sweet. kids also love putting their own fixings on anything. tacos can be served with torilla chips instead of in a shell, that is messy fun. Also, don't forget you can make great pudding from tofu.

What about a pasta salad with a simple oil dressing, just fill it with beans (for protein) and raw or lightly cooked (but still crunchy) veggies.
You could also do homemade chicken nuggets. They are favorite with my 4 kids - all 5 and under. Add sweet potato fries and it's a total win.
Homemade pizza, made with whole wheat crust and chicken and veggie toppings.
My kids love the frozen pre-made stuff too (what kids doesn't right?) So I have done searches to find similar things I can make from scratch. There is lots out there.

I love doing "Magic Meatballs" (one of those recipes where you mix in veggie puree). Weelicious' Broccoli, Carrot, and Cheese Orzo is popular in our house. Mini quiches of all types. Anything that can be served "bar" style, like scrambled eggs, decorate your own pancakes, baked potatoes, taco bar.

Just a tip, as a kid, I and many others it seems like were a lot more sensitive to texture. There were a lot of things that the texture was why I didn't like certain foods. So keep the textures familiar.

Also keep the dishes familiar - healthier versions of favorites (like others suggested - tacos, sloppy joes, pizzas, chicken nuggets) kinds probably respond better too.

Also if you have seen the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution show he does the same thing, his show might help inspire some meals by seeing what he choose to serve.

Hahahaha, I actually used to be a teacher at a daycare. I fought a lot for reforming the school food. One day I randomly complained about the state of school food on my Facebook, and then they fired me for it.

Good luck with this. It's such an important issue, that a lot of people don't pay attention to.

If my husband will eat it, a kid would probably love it as well. That said, I'd suggest a mexican sloppy joe made with ground turkey and served with tortilla chips instead of a bun. Fruit and yogurt parfaits or let the kids dip the fruit into the yogurt themselves. Grilled cheese sandwiches with deli ham or turkey. Veggies with humus cause again if you can dip it, kids will eat it.

My kids adore scrambled eggs. They also love what we call "eggs and rice", which is fried rice without soy sauce. Just cook some rice, put it in a frying pan, add some veggies and toss around 'till hot then crack in eggs. It's always a big hit.

How about bean burgers or sliders? Some healthy, lean protein delivered in a familiar way. I like the idea of doing a burger bar so kids can choose their own healthy toppings. You could do the same thing with tacos, I imagine. Maybe use marinated tempeh instead of beef?

Examples from my sons' menu for the month:
Whole wheat noodles mixed with cottage cheese
white bean chicken chili
tuna broccoli and noodles
baked fish with side of fruit
spinach lasagna
goat cheese and tomato gnocchi ( I expect to hear about this one from my boys, but overall they eat happily b/c they have no choice. I have a strict no packing rule as the school has a number of religious and allergy-related restrictions.)

Hello!

Great Question!

I am the Director of the cefa™ Junior Kindergarten in Langley, BC, and we have on staff a chef who faces your same challenge daily, and excels at the challenge.

One of chef Andrea's tricks is vegetable purees, which have recently been made popular by Jessica Seinfeld and others. However, cefa™ also strives to ensure that children eat their vegetables because they want to. This is done in three ways: 1. The vegetables should be presented in a visually appealing way, with choice, and dip. Children love home-made dips! This teaches them that vegetables are a delicious choice to eat. 2. Vegetables should be present in each meal, this takes the foreign out of them. They can be chopped up into friendly child sized bites, which are often more likely to be tested than a full piece. 3. Purees.. whether the children choose to eat the veggies offered to them or not, they are still getting them.

Please see our child - friendly menus posted on our blog each and every Monday at www.cefalangley.wordpress.com for loads of ideas!

Please feel free to email LangleyChef@cefa.ca if you would like to ask Andrea questions directly!

I hope this will help & inspire you.

Sincerely,
Jessica
www.cefa.ca

Grilled chicken soft tacos. For the preschoolers I would make them into smaller wraps.

Oh! And one more thought re: protein...

BEANS!!

Puree them into a mush (garbanzo beans in this case)... and mix in grated cheddar cheese & zucchini. Stir it all up & you have the PERFECT grilled cheese sandwhich filling.

The children LOVE these.

Beans are awesome as a protein packed vegetable, and are much healthier for growing bodies than large quantities of animal flesh.

Good luck!

Jessica
www.cefalangley.wordpress.com

My kids favs were: "yellow dinner" - chicken nuggets, apple sauce, mac & cheese, corn; sandwiches cut into 'fingers' with no crust; plain hummus with baby pita; in fact, anything 'baby' sized works like hamburger sliders; hot dog men are made by slicing the dog 1/3 the way from one end and making two slices on either side of the middle third for arms, use ketchup dots for eyes and mouth. Ask a pre-K teacher or student for some ideas that tie into lesson plans (colors, numbers, etc.)

Anything that kids like that is bad for them can be made good. Use whole wheat breads and tortillas, 100% fruit juice (even watered down if you want), all-fruit jam, natural peanut butter, baked chicken tenders coated in crushed cornflake cereal, whole wheat pasta, skim milk, turkey hotdogs. You get the idea.

-Black beans and rice
-Another vote for vegetarian chili or turkey/white bean chili
-Lasagna made with cottage cheese and zucchini
-Another vote for veggies and dips: white bean zip in addition to hummus; or yogurt dip with herbs mixed in (healthier version of ranch)
-Yogurt/honey dip with apples and other fruit

I work in school and some of our most popular lunches are brunch for lunch (egg sandwich w sausage or pancakes/french toast), burgers, meatball sandwich (so easy to throw a bunch in the crock pot), chicken noodle soup, nachos w/ meat topping, roast chicken, potato wedges, and of course any kind of popcorn chicken nugget/ patty. PB and J is always good too

our preschool offered fresh food every day which is one the reasons we picked that school.. the kids had a veggie and a fruit every single day and the entree was so varied - some of the faves were bean burritos, albondigas soup, egg salad sandwiches... they even somehow got the kids to eat cabbage casserole! i asked the teachers how they got all the kids to eat all their veggies and she said they offer the veggies FIRST while they go get the entree and most kids will finish almost all their veggies.

they always had sandwiches on mondays so i think that helped the menu planning... hot sandwiches and cold sandwiches.

Protein is tricky because of texture.

Meatballs/sliders/burgers/tacos always work well, especially if you include some lentils and veggie purees.

I can get my toddler to eat just about anything if it is breaded. I usually use whole wheat or panko, spray with a bit of canola and bake. Pork chops, chicken, tofu, etc. all work well, as do veggies.

Smoothies with whey protein (and maybe some sneaky kale or spinach?) could work, too. You could serve them as a soup or dip.

And don't forget the cheap, protein awesomeness of eggs! Hard boiled, deviled or scrambled, but also mini quiches or on sandwiches.

One of the big things that works well for me as a parent is to introduce a new food with "B list" familiar foods. For example, I'll make black bean tacos with broccoli and melon(both are not favorites, but not hated)

Fried quinoa. My kids love it and we don't actually use much oil. It is a great way to get in a ton of veggies and use up left overs. We added eggs or crumbled tofu and a favorite sauce. Low sodium soy sauce, a touch of maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon -- sounds odd but is great.

Grate carrots, apples and ginger (I use the grate attachment on my food processor and it goes quickly) and make a salad (like slaw). Mix in a little lime juice and you have a sweet, colorful, easy-to-eat side dish.

Bean burritos with cheddar are kid-friendly and easy to scale up (healthy, assuming you don't use refried beans but just mash some canned pintos or black beans)

Roll-ups aren't warm but are an easy way to include some protein: turkey, tomato, spinach; egg and cheese; peanut butter and honey; so many options.

I would avoid spicy things like curry and chili, kids tend to be more sensitive/particular about spices. Every kid is different of course, but if you make a chili or something, let the kids add the spice themselves.

Guys, this is great! I'm writing the menu for next week in the next couple days, and I'm so excited to try out some of these ideas. Thanks!

Dewey

Can you serve the lunch in stages? My kids eat a lot more veg or simple beans or whole grains if they get it first and then have to wait a bit for the "too hot" rest of the dinner. I love the sloppy joe with chips idea. That is genius. (The sloppy joe recipe on this site is great.)

They also love anything with soy sauce or "sauce" so tofu with soy sauce or green beans with soy-sauce butter or asparagus with ponzu are always hits.

My kids do well with whole wheat pasta added to things that shouldn't really have it. Then we can call it "pasta" and everyone is happy.

Also anything with ground meat or sausage or beans are a huge hit. So homemade soap with white beans, small diced veg, and a bit of sausage + some whole wheat elbows or "chili mac" grass fed beef, tomatoes, cumin and some spice + whole wheat elbows or leftover lamb burgers + chickpeas + cut up veg + tomatoes + quinoa etc.

I would think taquitos would be a lot easier for kids that young to eat than tacos. You could mix some veggies with the meat filling and serve them with a side of black beans and more veggies. Similarly burritos would work.

Make mac'n'cheese healthier by adding a lot of vegetables and making less, thinner cheese sauce.

Mini (turkey) meat balls with penne or fusilli pasta (less messy than spaghetti).

Pizza topped with chicken and vegetables and less cheese.

Lots of flavored variations of hummus/bean dip for dipping veggies.

Generally, I think the simpler the better since a lot of kids that age can be picky and unknown ingredients may cause them to leave it on the plate. Keep choices simple: a taco bar with 10 filling options will slow the line down. However, having limited choices (like chicken or bean burrito) can help picky kids find something they like.

Quinoa with black beans, corn, and a tomato seasoning sauce would be quick and easy to make lots of. Also a corn and tomato salad would be no cook and easy to put together. If you have a coop near, or a health food store that has a buffet, check it out and see what they have going on. They usually have an array of salads with vegetables, yogurts, chickpeas, couscous, etc.

peanut noodles - my 2 year old loves bow tie pasta, a ton of blanched veggies, and tofu tossed with peanut sauce

I second eggs - scrambled, fritta, egg salad

Cucumbers with plain yogurt, dill and a splash of lemon juice

Hummus and cheddar on wheat bread

These ideas so far are excellent. To add, as the mom of a 2.5 year old, I'd suggest dips!

You could try building a repertoire of 5-10 different homemade sauces (ones that store in the fridge for a while, too) and serving 3 a day. For example: homemade applesauce, bbq sauce, herb dip, hummus, tzatziki, honey mustard, fruit salsa, yogurt dip, etc... Inevitably, some will be instant hits and this could overshadow the less successful mains you make while you're getting acclimated.

Perhaps if you can get some specialized dishes with spaces for several condiments in them, or even little paper condiment cups that would be good. A lot of kids will open up to eating new or healthy foods if they have the choice and fun of sauces. Though some kids do better with less selection, this may allow the teacher to identify which kids like which sauces and they can dole them out themselves.

It sure makes plain chicken, fish, and tofu more fun!

I don't have any huge suggestions, but can I say that, as a mom, I wish you worked for my daughter's daycare! I desperately wish a giant freezer truck didn't deliver everything she's fed. You are wonderful for making this great effort!

This isn't about what to serve, but how to serve it. Our daycare has a rotating menu, (4 weeks that rotate, seasonal menus that change 4 times a year), but some days of the week have the same type of food and the kids love the structure. For example: Tuesday is soup and sandwiches, Friday is always pasta. Sometimes they serve pasta on Monday and the kids always think the kitchen staff are trying to trick them!

Black beans seem to be a kid favorite. Another big hit: edamame. They really enjoy popping them out of the shell.

A protein fave of my little one is broiled tofu (got the recipe from Veganimicon originally and have tweaked it over time): slice firm tofu into small triangles, dip in a mix of rice vinegar, soy sauce and water, arrange on a jelly roll pan or in a large baking dish sprayed with a plain oil like canola. Broil for 10 mins, then spoon a little more of the liquid over it all (no need to flip). Broil 3 mins, repeat w/liquid. Serve warm or room temp. Kids can eat them with their hands. They have a nice chewy texture (which as others have pointed out is key) and a toasty salty flavor. Just call them broiled triangles. The tofu word need not be spoken.

Oh, and hummus. Kids will eat unlimited quantities of hummus. Red peppers seem to be the fave dipping veg, with baby carrots a close second.

I really appreciate this question! I used to work in a preschool and getting them quality food seemed to be a issue sometimes. You could definitely tell on days when they had too much junk!

First, I want to say that its admirable that you really want to serve those kids good food!
Something I somewhere read is, that it also is about the presentation and stories that go with the food. For example, the kids didn't like brocolli till the cook told them they were little trees. Or called something green Shrek-something. So maybe sometimes you could give the food creativ names? Maybe something that relates to stories they know or films they have seen. Like, if the kids have seen the animation movie Ratatouille, they probably would be excited to be served your version of Ratatouille. Or you could make a green peas soup and call it Shrek-soup. Things like that.

The center my little boy attends does great with this. Homemade marinara sauce with pasta, risotto, chicken and cheesey rice casseroles, crunchy tacos are all favorites. The thing I keep in mind is that lots of foods have protein, so you don't need something that screams PROTEIN at each meal. It's everywhere!

These books are specifically about how to change the food at school ( I would add, within an Anglo-Saxon jculture with bad cod habits) from people who have succeeded. they go beyond the sort. Of suggestions posters have put forward here, and have tackled the specific challenges of catering kitchens in mind.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dinner-Lady-Change-Children-Forever/dp/0593054296/ref=sr_1_35?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312641686&sr=1-35

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Helpings-Dinner-Jeanette-Orrey/dp/0593054822/ref=pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Noras-Dinners-Jamie-Oliver/dp/0007206615/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Sorry, that should read that the first book listed is specifically about changing fod at school, the second has appropriate recipes which can be expanded (up to 96!), and the third has recipes which can be adapted.

I worked at a preschool in Australia that served a cooked lunch everyday. Good for you for doing this for the kiddos - so important. Some of the meals the kids loved were a baked frittata with cheese and peas, served with cold baked beans. Butternut squash soup pureed with carrot and served with sandwiches. Turkey meatloaf with cold carrots, cucumber etc and a dip. The cook would serve the kids a chicken 'curry' or a 'chilli' with a couple of spices like cumin or paprika but no actual spiciness - both with rice. There was always yogurt or tapioca for desert with fresh or tinned fruit. And wholemeal bread and butter with every meal. These meals would come around every couple of weeks. Good luck.

Hi, I cook at a preschool too, I'm at a Persian school in Berkeley.

I do everything fresh, nothing is processed, or 'junk' and the kids eat well. Things that work: Keeping foods separate Pasta, tomato sauce, meatballs, all served separately, the kids will usually want sauce, but they won't eat it if you do it for them. Apply that separation across the board and you'll find it easier to try new things.

My kids eat all kinds of food.
Mild curries (yellow, green) go over well.
Hummus (with fresh flat bread)
Corn on the cob I can't make enough of.
Pesto (I use sunflower seeds to avoid nut allergies).
Pad Thai is one of the 'mixed' things they love.
Soups & stews are always popular.
Most breads but corn bread, flat bread, multi-grain bread kids love (I've not had luck with seeded breads, and some don't like egg breads like challah, brioche).
Kebabs, Meatballs go over well

Pizza. Make them fresh baked pizza and you will be a GOD.

Wow, just read through all the comments.

Nice to see a bunch of other school cooks chiming in too. Perhaps we need a School Cooks' Support Group.

@ChazFrench: yes!! Or at least a discussion forum. There's lots of knowledge to be shared, I think.

Everyone else: I'm so overwhelmed! This is all just great. What a creative bunch of responses.

I've had luck with dips (vegetables are much more exciting with dip, I've found) and found that once I started serving fresh vegetables (sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, corn on the cob...) instead of frozen the kids ate so much more. I also love the idea of serving lunch in courses, starting with vegetables, and having a set rotation of menus (soup and sandwich on monday, pasta on tuesday, etc.) while varying the dishes. I'm feeling so inspired!

I cooked for kids at an after school program for a few years. It was definitely challenging, and I totally agree that sneaking veggies in there is important.

A few tips: 1. make things bland: if you make chili, which can go over well, add significantly less spice than you might for an adult palate. 2. Finger foods are always winners.
3. make things look fun! 4. i second the dipping, even for fruit - make a yogurt/honey sauce.

meal suggestions (sry if i'm repeating, but i didnt read every comment): turkey meatloaf is good because you can sneak a lot of veggies inside. A pasta dish with some plain chicken breast, broccoli and carrots always went over well. just add butter olive oil and Parmesan. (Its basically the buttered noodles they love with some broccoli snuck in.)

see if you can work sometime in with the kids, have them help and learn about their food. my nieces would never eat anything i cooked for them until i had them help me - they always lapped up everything they helped to make. in time they ate similar/healthy food even when they didnt help cook it.

Grilled cheese becomes "Waffle Sandwiches" when you cook them in the waffle iron. Add a little meat if you like.

Chicken with black beans and corn (shred and serve on tortillas)
http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-w-black-beans-and-cream-cheese-yum-89204

Mattar Paneer, going mild on the spices, is a huge hit at some children's events around here. My daughter loves it. I always have better luck with the paneer when I make it up the day before.
http://www.food.com/recipe/mattar-paneer-85853

This marinade is a kid-pleaser and it's very flexible. I always make it with chicken broth--it works very well with chicken and pork. I usually only marinade meat 1-2 hours or else the flavor becomes very strong.

Teriyaki Steak Marinade

Flank Steak
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
¾ teaspoons season salt (ie Lawry’s)
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup brown sugar

I've tried a lot of chicken enchilada recipes and this one is a kid pleaser, and is easy to change up ingredients.
Easy Chicken Enchiladas

8 oz cream cheese
1 ½ cup salsa
2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 can black beans
½ can refried beans
6 or 7 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with Pam. In small sauce pan over medium heat, combine cream cheese, salsa, and refried beans. Cook, stirring well, until melted and well blended. Stir in chicken and black beans. Fill each tortilla with mixture and roll up in pan. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover and bake 30 minutes until heated through. Bake a few minutes uncovered if cheese needs to brown. Garnish with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, tortilla chips, etc.