Balanced daycare meals are an important part of everyday childcare. But how can you tell if a menu is a good one? And what happens if your child barely eats anything at daycare? We explain what matters when it comes to food, how caregivers can support children, and what questions you might want to ask.
What makes up a balanced daycare menu?
Good daycare meals offer children varied, age-appropriate food. This includes vegetables, fruit, grain products, and suitable sources of protein. Dairy products or suitable alternatives can also be part of the menu.
The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) recommends a balanced, varied diet for infants and young children. The choice and preparation of food should match the child's stage of development.
The following points are especially important for parents:
Variety: The menu covers different food groups.
Age-appropriate preparation: Texture, portion sizes, and preparation match the child's stage of development.
Drinks: Water and unsweetened tea are available to quench thirst.
Regular meals: Main meals and snacks give structure to the day.
A pleasant eating atmosphere: Children are given time to eat and are supported without pressure.
Freshness, seasonality, and origin: Seasonal, regional, or organic products can be an additional quality feature. You can ask where the food comes from and how freshly it's prepared.
Preparation and quality: Is the food cooked on site or delivered? What matters is that meals are prepared in an age-appropriate way and meet children's needs.
What matters isn't whether every single meal contains all food groups. What counts is a varied mix over several days. Seasonal, regional, or organic products can enrich the menu, but they aren't a requirement for a balanced diet.
What does a typical mealtime day at daycare look like?
Daycare meals usually include several mealtimes, depending on the hours of care. These often include a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack.
A sample daily schedule could look like this:
Morning snack: Seasonal fruit, wholegrain bread, and water
Lunch: Rice with vegetables and chicken, or a plant-based protein source such as lentils
Afternoon snack: Vegetable sticks with hummus and crispbread
The meals offered vary depending on the daycare and the age of the children. There are also differences in how food is prepared: some daycares cook on site, while others get their food from external providers.
It's also worth finding out whether children are involved in food preparation in an age-appropriate way. For example, they might wash vegetables, prepare fruit, or get to know herbs from the daycare's own garden. Activities like these give children the chance to explore food with all their senses and learn how to handle it.
Example of a varied daycare menu
A weekly menu gives you an idea of how varied the meals on offer can be. Different types of vegetables, seasonal fruit, varied protein sources, and age-appropriate preparation are all important points to look out for.
Day | Sample lunch |
|---|---|
Monday | Wholegrain pasta with tomato sauce, vegetables, and grated cheese |
Tuesday | Potatoes with fish and steamed vegetables |
Wednesday | Vegetable risotto with white beans and grated cheese |
Thursday | Lentil stew with rice and vegetables |
Friday | Sliced chicken with couscous and seasonal vegetables |
This weekly menu is a simplified example and not a nutritionally calculated meal plan. Meals need to be adapted to each child's age and individual needs.
A menu alone, however, doesn't tell you how children are supported while eating.
Why does my child eat differently at daycare than at home?
Some children eat foods at daycare that they refuse at home. Others have less appetite than usual at lunchtime. These kinds of differences aren't unusual.
New routines, unfamiliar dishes, and eating together with other children can all influence eating behaviour. This is especially true during the settling-in period at daycare, when children first need to get used to their new surroundings.
What can you do if your child eats little at daycare?
Share observations: Ask the caregivers what your child ate and how the meal went.
Compare eating habits: Find out whether your child gets hungry at different times at home and at daycare.
Offer new foods without pressure: Give your child time to get used to unfamiliar foods. They don't need to try everything right away.
Keep an eye on development: Stay in regular contact with the daycare and discuss together whether eating habits are changing.
What matters is how eating habits develop over a longer period. If your child consistently eats very little, loses weight, or shows other symptoms, you should seek advice from your paediatrician.
Does my child have to finish their plate at daycare?
No. Children don't have to finish their plate. What's important is that they learn to recognise their own hunger and fullness signals.
The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) offers recommendations on feeding infants and young children, including how caregivers can support children in learning to eat.
In everyday daycare life, this means:
Respecting hunger: Children are allowed to express whether they're still hungry or already full.
No pressure around food: Caregivers respect it when a child refuses a meal or only wants to eat a little.
Food isn't used as a reward: Food should never be used as a reward or punishment.
When visiting a daycare, you can ask how caregivers handle children who eat little or refuse a meal.
How do daycares handle allergies and special dietary needs?
When it comes to food allergies and intolerances, clear communication between parents and the daycare is especially important.
You should let the daycare know about any known allergies as early as possible. This includes information on foods your child can't tolerate, possible reactions, and any measures recommended by a doctor.
For severe allergies, parents and the daycare should clarify the following together:
Food: Which ingredients does the child need to avoid, and how are meals adapted accordingly?
Responsibilities: Who informs the care team and makes sure the agreed precautions are followed?
Emergency plan: How does staff recognise a severe allergic reaction, and what steps are in place?
Emergency medication: Where is doctor-prescribed medication kept, and who is trained to use it?
The aha! Swiss Allergy Centre recommends coordinating with the daycare management early on. A medical emergency plan and properly trained staff are especially important for severe allergies.
It's also worth having a conversation before care begins if your child follows a vegetarian diet or has particular cultural eating habits. This allows you to clarify what alternatives the daycare can offer and how nutritional needs will be met.
For vegan diets in infancy and early childhood, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) recommends particular caution. Such a diet isn't recommended for this age group. If parents choose it anyway, qualified nutritional counselling and regular medical check-ups are necessary.
How can parents and daycare work together on mealtimes?
Good collaboration between parents and the daycare helps make sure a child's dietary needs are taken into account during everyday care. Regular communication is key to this.
You can keep caregivers informed about eating habits, preferred foods, and any changes at home. In turn, the daycare can give you feedback on eating behaviour during meals.
Concrete agreements are especially helpful, such as:
Information when care begins: Which foods is the child already familiar with? Does the child need support with eating?
Regular feedback: How is eating behaviour developing, and are there any changes in appetite?
A shared approach: How do parents and caregivers respond if a child repeatedly refuses certain meals?
This way, parents and the daycare can respond to the child's needs and make better sense of different observations.
Six questions about daycare meals to ask during a visit
These six questions can help you get a better idea of a daycare's approach to meals when you visit:
How varied is the menu? A current weekly menu shows which meals and food groups are offered.
Where does the food come from? Does the daycare use seasonal, regional, or organic products? What role do freshness and origin play in the choice of ingredients?
How are meals prepared? Does the daycare cook itself, or is food delivered? How does it cater to different age groups?
Are children involved in preparing food? Are there opportunities for cooking together, processing food, or gardening?
How does the daycare support children during meals? How do caregivers handle different eating habits, low appetite, or special dietary needs?
What drinks are available? Is water available at all times, and what other drinks are offered?
The answers will help you get a clearer picture of a daycare's approach to food.
Daycare meals: what matters most when choosing a daycare?
Good daycare meals take children's dietary needs into account and create space for shared eating experiences. Beyond the menu itself, preparation methods, the origin of ingredients, and children's involvement all offer valuable insight.
You'll find more information on the cost of childcare in our guide to daycare costs in Switzerland.
We're here to help you find the right childcare. Use our daycare comparison tool to discover different options. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.